The way we interact with technology is about to change forever. Agentic computing isn’t just another trend—it’s a fundamental shift in how software is built, controlled, and experienced.
The Evolution of Software
For the past 30 years, software has gone through clear phases:
- The PC Era (1990s): Software was personal. You bought it, installed it, and it ran on your machine.
- The Web Era (2000s): Everything moved online, and services became centralized under tech giants.
- The Cloud & Mobile Era (2010s-Present): Subscription-based, always-connected software became the norm, locking users into walled gardens.
Each phase improved convenience, but at the cost of control. Today, most software is owned by corporations, not users. We rely on centralized servers and proprietary algorithms that dictate how we interact with our digital world. But that’s about to change.
What is Agentic Computing?
Agentic computing shifts software from static tools to adaptive agents—programs that can think, learn, and act on behalf of users. Instead of manually clicking buttons and navigating rigid interfaces, users can delegate tasks to AI-powered software that understands their needs and adapts over time.
Imagine:
- A personal research agent that gathers and synthesizes information across the web based on your learning goals.
- A self-improving work assistant that automates repetitive tasks, schedules meetings, and integrates seamlessly into your workflow.
- Software that builds itself—tools that adapt to your usage patterns and create custom interfaces without you writing a single line of code.
The Decentralization Factor
For agentic computing to truly empower users, it must be decentralized. If AI agents are controlled by a handful of companies, we end up in the same centralized trap we’ve seen before. Instead, the future should be:
- Locally hosted: Your agents run on your own devices, not in the cloud.
- Interoperable: Open protocols allow different agents to collaborate without being tied to a single company.
- User-owned: You control your agent’s memory, training, and evolution.
How This Changes Everything
If agentic computing succeeds, it will fundamentally alter how we experience software:
- Goodbye to rigid interfaces: Instead of adjusting to how software works, software adjusts to you.
- No more endless SaaS subscriptions: Instead of renting software, you’ll own autonomous systems that grow with you.
- A new wave of entrepreneurship: Startups will focus on building open, agent-driven ecosystems rather than locked-down services.
The Business Shift: A New Startup Wave
We’re already seeing the first signs of this shift:
- Devin AI is pushing the concept of AI agents that can perform engineering tasks independently.
- LangChain & AutoGPT are experimenting with multi-agent systems that can collaborate to complete complex workflows.
- Open-source AI models like Llama and Mistral are giving individuals access to powerful models outside of corporate control.
The Future of the Web: More Human, More Personal
The early internet was a playground for experimentation. Then came centralization, driven by economies of scale. Agentic computing is a chance to reverse that trend—bringing power back to individuals and small communities.
We must ensure this future is built on openness, ownership, and agency. That means pushing for:
- AI models that are transparent and user-controllable
- Decentralized networks that support peer-to-peer collaboration
- Tools that empower individuals, not just corporations
The Call to Build
I think we’re at an inflection point. The software industry will change more in the next 5 years than it has in the past 30. If you care about the future of computing, now is the time to start experimenting, building, and shaping the world you want to see.