Introduction to Agentic AI

As we move beyond static prompts toward autonomous systems, understanding Agentic AI is the first step in mastering the next wave of software development.

Part of #BuildWithAI Series with GDG On Campus Makerere University

Transcript

1. A gentle Introduction to Agentic AI Makerere University Ronnie Atuhaire Linslay Computer Scientist Tech Community Builder 8PM 25 FEB 2026 TH
2. History of AI Chapter One The Way Back Machine
3. From ELIZA to Agentic AI What is AI? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the science of building machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. Examples: Learning Reasoning Language understanding Vision Decision-making 💡 AI is not one technology: it is a field.
4. Alan Turing 1950 In 1950, Alan Turing asked: “Can machines think?” He proposed the Turing Test: If a machine can imitate human conversation well enough, should we consider it intelligent? This marks the philosophical birth of AI.
5. Dartmouth Conference At the Dartmouth Conference: John McCarthy coined the term “Artificial Intelligence” This is considered the official beginning of AI as a field. The Birth of AI (1956)
6. AI experienced major setbacks: 1970s → First AI Winter Late 1980s → Second AI Winter Reason: Overpromising Limited computing power Funding cuts Lesson: AI progress is cyclical. The AI Winters
7. Created by Joseph Weizenbaum in 1966 Simulated a psychotherapist Used simple pattern matching No true understanding The First Chatbot
8. The Timeline
9. Agentic AI Chapter Two The future of AI
10. Agentic AI is a modern evolution: AI powered systems that: Plan tasks Use tools Maintain memory Reflect on outcomes Act autonomously Agentic AI = Initiative-driven AI systems. What Is Agentic AI?
11. Major Milestones
13. Agentic AI Framework
14. Let’s Discuss...
15. Agentic AI Tools LangChain Google AI Studio CrewAI Microsoft AutoGen & Foundry n8n Open Claw Plus: Vector databases RAG systems Tool calling APIs Toolkit
16. Agentic AI doesn’t replace Human judgement...it elevates it! - Afro Boy