Agentic AI and Libraries

The development and capabilities of AI continue to grow faster than many of us can keep up. One new feature that I’ve found particularly startling is “agentic AI”. What sets agentic AI apart from a simple chat AI tool is its ability to actually complete tasks on its own. For example, you might ask an agentic AI to go to an online retailer and place a copy an item you specify into your cart. Asking the AI to “buy the best rated air conditioner on Walmart.com” and the it can actually manipulate your browser to do this. While this example doesn’t impact higher education much, it’s also possible to ask agentic AI to complete every quiz or discussion post in an online class. The student doesn’t even have to interact with the class in any way. I’ve tested this using an agentic AI browser called Comet Browser. With simple prompts on a chat window that loads on the right hand side of a browser the user can watch as the AI manipulates websites. The chat window even explains the process the AI is going through as it works.

Here is a video taken by a college professor demonstrating Comet Browser at work.

Tools like this will have a huge, almost entirely negative, impact on higher education. Any graded library content posted in an online class will be compromised as tools like these become more common. Academia will have to ask itself if graded online assignments are just a wasted exercise that proves nothing about student learning. The only possible solutions being proctored in person work or online proctoring tools.