Maskin’s analysis distinguishes two fundamentally different classes of AI:
Generative AI – systems that create content (text, images, code) by learning patterns from data. They are passive, producing outputs only when prompted.
Agentic AI – systems that autonomously pursue goals, making decisions and taking actions across multiple steps, integrating with external systems.
Two Categories of Intelligence
Maskin’s analysis distinguishes two fundamentally different classes of AI:
Generative AI – systems that create content (text, images, code) by learning patterns from data. They are passive, producing outputs only when prompted.
Agentic AI – systems that autonomously pursue goals, making decisions and taking actions across multiple steps, integrating with external systems.