If you’re just starting out in IT, the terms “Generative AI” and “Agentic AI” might sound intimidating. Think of it this way:
- Generative AI is like a tutor—it explains things, creates examples, and helps you understand concepts.
- Agentic AI is like an assistant—it takes action, runs tasks, and shows you how things work in practice.
Here’s how they differ across five (5) areas that can boost your productivity.
- Workflow Automation & Low-Code Development
- Generative AI: Writes out simple code or step-by-step guides to show you how to automate tasks.
- Agentic AI: Actually runs those automations—connecting apps, moving data, and keeping things flowing.
Difference: Generative AI teaches you how to build the automation. Agentic AI executes it for you.
- Data Analysis & Visualisation
- Generative AI: Explains how to write a formula, query a database, or build a chart.
- Agentic AI: Pulls the data, creates the chart, and updates it automatically.
Difference: Generative AI helps you understand the logic. Agentic AI does the heavy lifting.
- Cybersecurity Awareness & IT Hygiene
- Generative AI: Breaks down what phishing is, why strong passwords matter, and how to stay safe.
- Agentic AI: Monitors your systems, flags suspicious activity, and can even fix issues.
Difference: Generative AI teaches you the rules of safety. Agentic AI acts as the guard on duty.
- Cloud & Infrastructure Management
- Generative AI: Explains what “the cloud” is, how servers scale, and why storage matters.
- Agentic AI: Manages those servers—scaling them up or down, optimising costs, and keeping things running.
Difference: Generative AI helps you learn the concepts. Agentic AI handles the real-world operations.
- AI-Enhanced Customer Experience Tools
- Generative AI: Shows you how to design a chatbot or recommendation system.
- Agentic AI: Runs the chatbot live, adapting to customer questions and improving over time.
Difference: Generative AI teaches you how to build customer tools. Agentic AI delivers the experience directly to customers.
Quick Comparison
| Area | Generative AI (Tutor) | Agentic AI (Assistant) |
| Workflow Automation | Explains how to code | Runs the automation |
| Data Analysis | Teaches formulas & queries | Generates live reports |
| Cybersecurity | Explains best practices | Protects in real time |
| Cloud | Teaches concepts | Manages resources |
| Customer Tools | Guides design | Operates live systems |
Final Thought
If you’re just starting out, think of Generative AI as your teacher and Agentic AI as your assistant. One explains the concepts so you understand the “why,” while the other shows you the “how” by doing tasks in real time. Together, they make learning IT skills less overwhelming and more practical—you’re not just reading about it, you’re seeing it in action.
This approach is very similar to how Insentra are helping businesses through their Generative AI Sprint 1. Sprint 1 is designed as a hands-on crash course where you don’t just hear about AI, you actually see how it applies to your business. They start by identifying where AI can bring immediate value, then walk you through practical use cases (like sales, operations, or customer service), and even teach you prompt engineering so you can get better results from tools like Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT.
The real strength of Insentra’s Sprint series is that it meets you where you are. Whether you’re a complete beginner or already experimenting with AI, Sprint 1 gives you a foundation and a clear action plan for quick wins. Then, later sprints build on that foundation with deeper, more advanced applications. It’s a structured way to accelerate your AI journey without feeling lost or overwhelmed.
So, as a beginner dipping your toes into IT and AI, you can think of your own learning path in the same way:
- Start small with understanding concepts (Generative AI as your tutor).
- Apply them in real-world tasks with hands-on support (Agentic AI as your assistant).
- Build momentum step by step, just like Insentra’s sprint model, until AI becomes a natural part of how you run your business.
