Concepts
Types of AI: Generative, Predictive, Agentic
Three flavors of AI, and when to use each.
What it is
Generative AI creates new content (text, images, code). Predictive AI forecasts outcomes from historical data (churn, demand, cash flow). Agentic AI plans and executes multi-step tasks across your tools with minimal supervision.
Why it matters for your business
Picking the wrong type wastes budget. Most small to medium-sized businesses start with generative for productivity, add predictive for planning, and only introduce agentic once processes are documented and stable.
Where to start
- Generative: draft proposals, marketing copy, first-pass SOPs
- Predictive: forecast monthly revenue, flag at-risk clients
- Agentic: triage inbox, prep meeting briefs, run weekly reports
Watch out
Agentic AI needs guardrails and audit logs — never let it move money or send external emails without human approval.
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