The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years has opened up countless new possibilities. Yet, as many experts point out, the true value of AI depends on how we use it. If students and users rely on systems such as ChatGPT merely to generate quick texts, images, or sounds, this approach alone will hardly lead to new knowledge, creativity, or innovation. Real progress lies not in automated content generation, but in systems capable of thinking and acting independently.

This idea was at the heart of the panel discussion “Hype versus Reality: Does AI stand for ‘Almost Intelligent’?”, featuring Prof. Péter Baranyi (Corvinus University of Budapest), Prof. Giovanni Schiuma (Libera Università Mediterranea, Bari), Prof. Colin Eden (Strathclyde Business School, Glasgow), and Prof. Zoltán Cséfalvay, head of the Centre for Next Technological Futures at MCC.

Moderated by Csenge Vörös and Marcell Kovács, the discussion explored both the practical and conceptual boundaries of current AI systems. The participants agreed that the future belongs to Agentic AI — systems that not only respond, but also search, analyze, decide, and act. These “digital agents” or “intelligent co-workers” can perform complex intellectual processes, thereby enhancing human productivity and efficiency.

The audience also had the opportunity to view seven posters summarizing the research projects of students from the Centre for Next Technological Futures. The series will soon be expanded with a new poster, presenting the group’s latest research on Agentic AI.