What is the difference between Superagency and Agentic AI as described in the chapter?

Superagency is the broader human-centered vision in which coordinated AI systems amplify human agency, are aligned with shared human values, and orchestrate multiple agents for positive, inclusive change. Agentic AI, by contrast, refers to individual AI systems that can independently make decisions, take action, and complete tasks without continuous human direction or supervision. In short, Agentic AI focuses on autonomous task execution, while Superagency is the framework that coordinates such autonomous agents and steers them toward human flourishing.

In the chapter, Superagency is described as a new paradigm in human–AI interaction where AI does not replace people but amplifies them. It emphasizes distributed rather than centralized intelligence and calls for the benefits of AI to be shared across communities rather than hoarded by a few. The text explains that Superagency is connected to the Peer-Driven Approach to AI: as individuals gain access to AI tools, Superagency ensures those tools are coordinated, ethical, and aligned with shared human values. It is called the connective tissue between personal empowerment and systemic transformation, and it challenges fear-based narratives by presenting AI as a partner in progress. In the Amal case study, Superagency functions like a conductor, orchestrating multiple Agentic AIs so they work in harmony to provide a smooth, personalized experience, such as coordinating navigation, road monitoring, and climate control during a drive. Agentic AI, on the other hand, refers specifically to AI systems designed to operate as autonomous agents. The chapter defines Agentic AI as systems that can independently make decisions, take action, and complete tasks without needing continuous human direction or supervision. One expert quoted in the chapter summarizes it with one word: proactiveness. Agentic AI understands the user's goal, vision, and context, and it acts autonomously to achieve goals without constant human guidance. For example, an agentic personal assistant could autonomously plan, purchase ingredients, and complete a task when instructed, rather than simply responding to a narrow prompt like an image generator. The key difference is one of scope and role. Agentic AI is about a single system's functional autonomy: its ability to perceive, decide, and act on its own. Superagency is the larger vision and orchestration layer that coordinates multiple Agentic AIs, ensuring they align with human values and work together for improved lives and societal outcomes. Superagency is described as a philosophical pivot and a call to action, while Agentic AI is presented more concretely as a type of technology that brings both productivity benefits and the need for shared safety responsibility across developers, deployers, users, and third parties.