AI · 1h ago
'Autonomous Agent' Is a Contradiction in Terms, Argues Developer
The term 'autonomous agent' is an oxymoron because an agent acts for a principal, while autonomy means self-governance. The industry's hype conflates these concepts, leading to confusion about what AI agents actually are. The article argues that 'heteronomous agent' would be more accurate, though equally problematic.
Meridian48 take
The semantic critique is valid, but the industry will likely continue using the term loosely—precision matters less than utility in a fast-moving field.
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