TL;DR (The 30-Second Intel)
Chatbots are Passive: "Copilots" require constant prompting. They are productivity tools, not replacement labor.
Agents are Active: The new wave of "Agentic AI" can execute multi-step workflows (intake, validation, redlining) autonomously.
The Shift: We are moving from "Human-in-the-loop" to "Human-on-the-loop"—monitoring outcomes rather than managing tasks.
The Reality Check
If your AI strategy relies entirely on a text box that asks, "How can I help you today?", you are already falling behind.
The "Copilot" model—where a human prompts an LLM to write an email or summarize a PDF—was a necessary bridge. But for high-volume procurement, it is insufficient. It doesn't solve the core problem: bandwidth.
A Copilot makes a human faster. An Agent replaces the task entirely.
The Rise of "Agentic" Workflows
We are seeing a massive capital shift toward autonomous agents. Unlike a chatbot, an agent has permission to use tools. It doesn't just draft the email; it sends it, reads the reply, updates the ERP, and triggers the next step.
Market Signal: Venture capital is flowing heavily into "Service-as-Software." Investors are betting that Procurement is the first department to be successfully automated because the data is structured (contracts, invoices, POs) and the workflows are logic-based.
The New "Autonomy Stack"
The idea of a single "All-in-One" suite solving AI is fading. The winners are building ecosystems of specialized agents that talk to each other.
Leading CPOs are now looking at their tech stack in three layers:
The Orchestrator: The "front door" for intake that routes requests.
The Specialist Agents: Autonomous modules handling specific verticals (e.g., IT renewals, tail spend, logic-based compliance checks).
The System of Record: The ERP/CLM remains the database, but it is no longer the primary interface for work.
The Bottom Line
Stop asking your team to "use AI" to write emails. Start asking your vendors: "Can your software do the job while I'm asleep?"
If the answer is no, it's just a tool. It’s not a teammate.