The Hard Truths I Learned About Agentic AI at Dreamforce

The power of agentic AI is directly correlated to the data the agent has available to use. The informational context that the agent can “see” matters. Why? Because….

AI agents are non-deterministic. Their power is derived from their ability to mimic human thinking, not following deterministic “if/then” logic. This ability to change and evolve in a human-like manner is what sets them apart. But for agents to thrive we must understand that…

Not all data is the same. Just like with human knowledge, some information (data) is easier to “see” than other information. This is something we understand naturally as humans—we only have the information we have been exposed to. So, like a person, AI agents need to be exposed to the data they need to “see.” And beyond the “seeing” is also understanding that…

Data context is king. Just having access to “see” data is not enough; the context of the data matters—a lot. Humans intuitively understand data and information in context to such an extent that we view them as inseparable. But they are, in fact, two separate facets of understanding.

Let’s play a quick game. Pretend you are messaging someone. They don’t know you. You don’t know them. (And yes, this is a variation of the Turing Test.)

You say: “I have a headache.” This is a piece of data.

Without context, it’s basically meaningless to the other person.

The receiving person would reply something like “???”

Let’s add some context. The message is to a doctor.

The data (“I have a headache”) and the context (“the message is to a doctor”) combine to create understanding. The doctor would infer that you are asking for help, and you would be expecting help.

The reply would something like: “I would recommend taking Advil.”

Let’s add more context. The message is to a doctor you have seen for 20 years.

This combination of data and context is now much more powerful. The doctor now “sees” all your data (medical records, visits, lab tests, etc.).

Now, this same data (“I have a headache”) is now many times more relevant to you because of the rich context. The reply would be something like: “You need you to go the ER now.”

Why? The combination of data and context matters. Your doctor knows you were recently in a car accident. Your doctor knows this is urgent.

The point is clear. Context is king.

And for AI agents, we need to understand that their context comes from data . After all, they are still computers. Intuiting context is natural for humans, not for AI.

(This process is often referred to as personalization — and this is what we mean by personalization: Data and context working together, creating relevance to you.)

Data, Data Everywhere and Not a Drop to Use: What We Mean When We Say “Data”

For AI agents to deliver, we humans must create the data environment (the context) in which they can thrive.

At a real-world level this means a bit of a shake up to the typical IT thinking.

If you are an IT leader, your new mission is not to create deterministic outcomes — computers are already great at that. Your mission is to create a data environment (the context) in which AI agents can thrive, adapt, and evolve in a non-deterministic way, maximizing agentic AI’s ability to adapt as facts and data change.

What Does Creating a Data Environment for AI Agents Mean for IT Leaders?