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The Conversation
The Conversation
Thomas Şerban von Davier, Affiliated Faculty Member, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology, Carnegie Mellon University

AI agents arrived in 2025 – here’s what happened and the challenges ahead in 2026

AI agents have emerged from the lab, bringing promise and peril. tadamichi/iStock via Getty Images

In artificial intelligence, 2025 marked a decisive shift. Systems once confined to research labs and prototypes began to appear as everyday tools. At the center of this transition was the rise of AI agents – AI systems that can use other software tools and act on their own.

While researchers have studied AI for more than 60 years, and the term “agent” has long been part of the field’s vocabulary, 2025 was the year the concept became concrete for developers and consumers alike.

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