Agentic AI is rapidly evolving from buzzword into a practical business tool. In just a few years, AI systems have progressed from simply answering questions to taking action, planning tasks, using software tools, and making decisions to achieve defined goals.
For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), this shift presents a significant opportunity: the ability to automate complex, multi-step work without hiring additional staff or writing custom code. Today, tools such as Claude enable small businesses to build their own AI Agents in just a few clicks.
But greater capability brings greater responsibility.
Unlike traditional AI tools or standard generative AI (GenAI), which respond to specific prompts, AI agents can plan their own steps, interact with other software systems, and complete projects with minimal oversight. When given an objective, they determine how best to accomplish it.
For a small business owner, these agents act like a 24/7 support staff that never gets tired.
They don’t just “talk”—they “do.”
At the same time, AI agents introduce new cybersecurity and governance challenges. Because they can access systems, move data, and make decisions, they may also expose sensitive information, act on incomplete instructions, or be manipulated by malicious actors if not properly configured and monitored.
The same autonomy that makes them powerful can also amplify risk.
Our latest AI resource, Smarter Automation, Safer Outcomes: A Practical Guide to Agentic AI for Small & Medium-Sized Businesses, is designed to provide guidance for SMBs on how to use AI Agents responsibly and securely. It complements the Cyber Readiness Program and its focus on the Core Four of cybersecurity which are foundational to the secure use of AI Agents. The guide will help you to identify the cybersecurity and data exposure risks from using AI Agents and put basic governance controls in place to manage those risks.
Download the guide to start building smarter, safer AI-driven operations.
