Agentic AI and AI Agents: A Primer for Leaders

Agentic AI and AI Agents: A Primer for Leaders

This course is part of multiple programs.

Instructor: Dr. Jules White

Top Instructor

100,647 already enrolled

Included with

2 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,316 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

5 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

95%

Most learners liked this course

2 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,316 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

5 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

95%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Understand the Fundamentals of Agentic AI and AI Agents: Gain a clear understanding of how AI agents work enabling you to make informed decisions.
Differentiate Innovation from Hype: Learn to evaluate AI solutions, recognize opportunities for impact, and avoid outdated or overhyped approaches.
Build Basic Agents with Custom GPTs: Develop hands-on experience creating simple yet powerful AI agents using custom GPTs.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Artificial Intelligence
Category: AI literacy
Category: AI Enablement
Category: Agentic systems
Category: Decision Intelligence
Category: Tool Calling
Category: Generative AI Agents
Category: Automation
Category: Workflow Management
Category: Email Automation
Category: Business Process Automation
Category: Emerging Technologies

Tools you'll learn

Category: Agentic Workflows
Category: AI Workflows
Category: Generative AI
Category: Prompt Engineering

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

2 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is available as part of

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be asked to select a specific program.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 2 modules in this course

Forget everything you know about traditional AI. Agentic AI doesn’t just analyze data; it acts on it. From drafting sales emails to updating CRMs, it’s not just a tool—it’s a game-changer. Are you ready to harness its power?

Agentic AI combines Generative AI with tools and actions, enabling the creation of "agents" that revolutionize how work is done. Unlike tools that simply generate static outputs, these agents take action—drafting emails directly in your inbox, updating a CRM with client meeting notes, or analyzing sales data and producing a PowerPoint presentation. In the fast-paced world of AI-enhanced work, understanding Agentic AI isn’t optional—it’s your competitive advantage. These intelligent agents are reshaping how tasks are executed, decisions are made, and value is created across industries. By automating repetitive workflows and enhancing high-value tasks, they empower teams to focus on innovation and strategy. Agentic AI is transforming industries, and this course will ensure you’re leading the charge, not playing catch-up. Understanding their capabilities and limitations is essential for staying competitive in this rapidly evolving landscape. This course demystifies Agentic AI, teaching you how these agents work and how to design them to suit your needs. By the end, you’ll not only know how to differentiate genuine AI innovation from overhyped gimmicks but also be equipped to build tools that deliver tangible value. Whether you’re in business, technology, or leadership, this course will help you stay ahead of the curve.

What's included

10 videos1 reading1 assignment

10 videosTotal 83 minutes

What Can Agentic AI Do?7 minutes
Introduction10 minutes
Flipped Interaction Pattern7 minutes
Multimodal Flipped Interaction7 minutes
Ahead of Time Planning8 minutes
Providing Agentic AI Information About the World6 minutes
Giving Agents Tools8 minutes
Tool Descriptions and Naming9 minutes
Tool Results and Agent Feedback10 minutes
In-Context Learning and Agents12 minutes

1 readingTotal 10 minutes

Learning More & Staying Connected10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 60 minutes

Build an Agent with a Human in the Loop60 minutes

What's included

7 videos1 reading1 assignment

7 videosTotal 52 minutes

OpenAI GPTs are an Agentic AI Platform for Everyone3 minutes
Programming a GPT9 minutes
Custom Instructions10 minutes
Retrieval Augmented Generation12 minutes
Putting it All Together: Custom GPTs9 minutes
Giving Our Agentic AI Tools: Using Built-in Capabilities6 minutes
Thanks!2 minutes

1 readingTotal 2 minutes

To Learn More About GPTs2 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 120 minutes

Building a Custom GPT Agent120 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(483 ratings)

Top Instructor

Dr. Jules White

Vanderbilt University

51 Courses1,152,128 learners

Offered by

Vanderbilt University

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Reviewed on Jan 6, 2025

Practical, quick and interesting. Enabled me to quickly create a career advice GPT tailored specifically to my work experience.

Reviewed on Feb 7, 2025

I have really enjoyed learning about Agentic Ai and Custom GPT from Jules White from Vanderbilt University - they are explained in a simple way so that everyone can understand!

Reviewed on Aug 9, 2025

Insightful, practical and very relevant. Helps inspire so many ideas on leveraging AI agents and customization of GPTs for task automation for my role.

Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.