Not all AI is the same. Right now, two terms keep coming up in conversations: Assistive AI and Agentic AI. They sound similar, but they shape work in very different ways. Understanding the difference matters, because one of them is already everywhere in your business — whether you know it or not.
Assistive AI: The Everyday Copilot
Assistive AI is what most of us have already tried. Tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini don’t go off and make decisions for you, they sit beside you like a digital helper. Think of it like having a sharp, endlessly patient colleague who can:
- Draft an email in seconds
- Summarise a 20-page report before your coffee’s gone cold
- Throw out five new ideas when you’re stuck staring at a blank page
- Give you a second opinion when you’re weighing up a decision
And this isn’t a fringe experiment anymore. Three-quarters of knowledge workers worldwide are already using generative AI at work. ChatGPT alone has been used by 65% of employees in workplace settings.
So if you feel like you’re playing catch-up — you’re not alone, but you’re also not imagining it. Assistive AI is already threaded through day-to-day work.
Agentic AI: The Flashy Future
Agentic AI is the step beyond. Instead of helping you draft the email, it sends the email. Instead of showing you flight options, it books the ticket.
It’s the promise of AI that doesn’t just assist — it acts. And while that makes for exciting headlines, most businesses aren’t there yet. The tools are still maturing, and the stakes are higher. Giving an AI the keys to act on your behalf raises big questions about trust, safety, and accountability.
For now, agentic AI is more concept than reality in most workplaces.
The overlooked potential of Assistive AI
Most think of assistive AI as opening ChatGPT, typing in a question, and grabbing the answer. Essentially a glorified search engine. The real power of assistive AI however, comes when it’s trained.
With the right training, your assistant doesn’t just answer questions — it learns your way of working. It knows what you do, how you do it, and why you do it that way. It can be trained on your tone, your processes, your priorities.
That’s when it becomes less of a gadget and more of a genuine personal assistant. One that:
- Sounds like you when it communicates
- Works like you when it supports decisions
- Reflects your standards, not just generic internet knowledge
It moves from quick answers, to a deeply aligned extension of how you run your business.
Why This Matters Now
While assistive AI is already everywhere, most businesses don’t have a plan for it. Nearly 80% of employees bring their own tools into work; but only 22% of organizations have a clear AI policy. That means your people are already relying on AI to draft client emails, summarise documents, and shape decisions — but often with untrained, unaligned tools.
It’s a bit like every staff member hiring their own assistant on the side. Helpful? Maybe. But unvetted, unsupervised, and not necessarily working to your standards.
What You Need to Do
So what’s the move? If you’re a business leader, here’s the practical takeaway:
- Face the facts — Assistive AI is already here, and your people are using it.
- Set guardrails — A few simple do’s and don’ts reduce the risks of shadow use.
- Train for alignment — Make sure AI “sounds like you” and “works like you” so it reflects your standards and workflows.
- Build repeatable skills — Don’t leave AI use at the level of “prompt hacks.” Help your team turn it into a capability they can trust.
The Bottom Line
Agentic AI may define the future. But assistive AI defines the present. What you need to know is this: assistive AI isn’t just a shiny tool for quick answers. With training, it can become an invaluable assistant — one that communicates like you, works like you, and helps your team do their best work.
Get that right now, and you’ll be ready for whatever comes next.
Cheers,
Adam Walsh
Founder – Bizualize