The Age of Agentic AI: How the Next Generation of AI and its Insatiable Hunger for Energy Are Restarting the Industrial Revolution
The world has just crossed a silent threshold. For years, "Artificial Intelligence" was a software concept, a productivity tool confined to chatbots, image generators, and spreadsheets. It was something that responded . Now, we are entering the era of AI that acts .
We are in the era of Agency Artificial Intelligence .
A wave of global announcements in early November 2025 revealed an undeniable truth: the AI revolution has left the cloud and collided with the physical world. This new phase is not just about smarter algorithms; it's about the massive industrial, energy, and geopolitical consequences of that intelligence.
Two seemingly unrelated ads, placed hours apart, tell the whole story:
The Brain: LALIGA , Spain's elite football league, has selected Globant to drive a pioneering innovation program based on "Agentic Artificial Intelligence." AI is no longer just analyzing the game; it's starting to manage operations.
The Muscle: In Houston, the first NatGas To Power Forum was announced , an event focused on "Powering AI Data Centers with Natural Gas".
This is the new symbiosis that will define the next decade: the "brain" of agentic AI is developing such a voracious appetite for energy that it is forcing a fundamental reconfiguration of our global energy infrastructure.
This is no longer a software revolution. It's an industrial revolution. It's fueled by a new generation of robotics (awarded by CES), supported by a new $14 billion "automotive cybersecurity" market, and is creating new power centers in hubs like Dubai and Zhejiang province in China.
This article is a deep dive into how the era of agentic AI began, the physical infrastructure it requires, and the new world order it is quietly building.
The New Brain: "Agentic Artificial Intelligence" Takes Command
The biggest paradigm shift of 2025 is the emergence of "Agent AI". Forget the chatbot that waits for a command. Think of an autonomous digital "agent" to which you define a goal .
A chatbot responds : "Here are 10 flights to London." An AI agent acts : "I monitored prices, booked the most efficient flight that aligns with your meeting schedule, adjusted your hotel, arranged ground transportation, and have already rescheduled your 2 PM meeting because I detected a likely delay."
This is the "brain" that industries are beginning to implement.
Case Study: LALIGA and Globant Launch AI Workforce
The announcement that LALIGA has selected Globant for a pioneering "Agentic Artificial Intelligence" program is a game-changer. Globant is not just providing software; it is transforming the league's operations with its "AI Pods" subscription model.
What does this mean in practice for one of the biggest sports leagues in the world?
Operations Agents: Instead of humans, AI agents can manage the complex logistics of game schedules, broadcast team allocation, and stadium operations, optimizing everything in real time.
Fan Engagement Agents: Personalized agents who interact with millions of fans, offering tailored content, managing tickets, and creating "second screen" experiences that go far beyond a social media feed.
Performance Agents: Real-time player data analysis that not only reports statistics but also prescribes training regimens or game strategies.
LALIGA is essentially hiring a new digital workforce that operates 24/7. This is the first large-scale adoption of a technology that will soon be standard across all sectors.
The "Agentic" Ecosystem Expands
This trend is not happening in isolation. Agent AI is emerging in all sectors that require real-time action.
Trade and Finance: BingX , a major cryptocurrency exchange, has launched the BingX AI Arena . The name is telling: "Competitive AI Arena." AI is no longer just an analytical tool for traders; it's becoming the trader itself . These AI agents compete against each other, executing complex strategies at superhuman speeds.
Travel and Tourism: Trip.com Group , a global travel giant, highlighted at WTM London 2025 how it is "shaping global travel trends through AI innovation." For Trip.com, agency AI is the future personal "travel agent" that proactively manages disruptions, re-books canceled flights before the customer even notices, and optimizes entire itineraries based on live data.
Customer Service: Transcosmos , a global BPO company, was awarded in China for its "AI-powered customer service center." The goal? "To optimize customer costs and drive CX." This means that AI agents are solving complex problems from start to finish, not just reading scripts, freeing up humans to handle only the most complex exceptions.
This powerful new layer of intelligence is spreading rapidly. But all this 24/7 thinking has an immense and ravenous physical consequence.
The Insatiable Appetite: The Energy Problem of AI Infrastructure
AI doesn't live in the "cloud." It lives in physical buildings the size of warehouses, called data centers, filled with tens of thousands of servers that consume an almost unimaginable amount of energy. Training a single cutting-edge AI model can consume more electricity than 100 homes in a year.
As agentic AI becomes ubiquitous, the demand for energy is exploding beyond the capacity of our current power grids.
The Gigawatt Dilemma: AI Data Centers Need More Power
This is the silent crisis that defines the next decade. AI data centers don't just need more power; they need dense, reliable, 24/7 power . Renewable energy, like solar and wind, is clean but intermittent. An AI data center can't "shut down" when the wind stops or the sun sets.
This leads to a new and unlikely alliance, highlighted by the announcement of the first NatGas To Power Forum in San Antonio. The explicit focus of the event is the "energy industry's response to the unprecedented demand" to "fuel AI data centers with natural gas."
This is a seismic development. The natural gas industry, often seen as a "transition energy," is now openly positioning itself as the only "dispatchable" (i.e., switchable on and off on demand) energy source capable of delivering the reliable gigawatt baseload that the AI revolution requires.
The new industrial logic is clear: without a massive and stable energy source – which, for now, appears to be natural gas – the era of agentic AI comes to a halt.
AI Solving Its Own Energy Problem?
The irony, however, is that AI itself is our best tool for managing this energy crisis and driving sustainability. Convergence is not just a problem; it's the solution.
ESG Driven by AI: Hisense , a global appliance giant, announced how it is accelerating its ESG strategy with "AI-based sustainability milestones." For Hisense , AI optimizes energy use in its factories, designs appliances that consume less electricity, and manages a green supply chain, reducing carbon emissions.
Leadership in Industrial Sustainability: Hindustan Zinc announced that it has maintained its number 1 global ranking in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) for the third consecutive year. For a mining and metals company, a notoriously energy-intensive sector, achieving the top spot in global sustainability is proof that it is using technology and AI to radically optimize its operations, reduce water use, and manage waste.
AI is both the cause of the new demand for energy and our most powerful tool for managing that demand and increasing efficiency across the system.
The New Nerves: The Battle for Cybersecurity in a Connected World
As agentic AI becomes the "brain" and the power grid the "muscle," a new network of digital "nerves" connects everything. And these nerves are vulnerable.
Every AI-connected device – from a car to a motorcycle headset – becomes a potential entry point for attacks. Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern; it has become a physical security necessity.
The Consequence of $14 Billion: Automotive Cybersecurity
The clearest example of this new vulnerability comes from the automotive industry. A modern car, like the recently launched Geely EX2 , is not just an engine on wheels; it's a mobile data center. It runs millions of lines of code, is perpetually connected to the internet, and will soon be partially piloted by AI.
A new report from Mordor Intelligence released this week quantifies the risk: the Automotive Cybersecurity Market will reach US$14.43 billion by 2030. The reason? "Increased use of connected vehicles and data security mandates."
Hacking a laptop steals data. Hacking a car can cause a fatal accident. Cybersecurity has literally become a matter of life or death.
Security as the New Standard of Luxury
This new reality is changing the way automakers sell cars. Safety is no longer just about airbags and crash tests; it's about firewalls and encryption.
LEPAS , an electric vehicle brand from Wuhu, China, highlighted this week that its "Elegant Safety" technology is based on "Five-Star Global Safety Standards." This is a subtle but profound shift. The "five stars" no longer refers solely to crash survival, but to the car's ability to avoid collisions (through AI) and protect its digital systems from external attacks.
Protecting the New Digital Economy
This vulnerability extends to all aspects of the new economy.
Institutional Crypto Adoption: ChainUp , a digital asset infrastructure provider, has been named "Best Technology Solutions Provider." The reason? "Institutional adoption reaches critical mass." Institutions – banks, hedge funds – only enter the crypto market when their security is military-grade.
Navigating Volatile Markets: The latest Bybit TradFi Report highlights that "private data suggests the market is stable without official US figures." This points to a financial market that now relies on alternative data sources and AI-based analytics to navigate a complex world.
The Risk of Accountability: In a world of high speed and high risk, accountability is paramount. The flurry of lawsuits and investigations announced by firms such as The DJS Law Group and The Schall Law Firm against dozens of companies (such as James Hardie, WPP, aTyr, Molina, CarMax, etc.) underscores a truth: in a complex, technology-driven market, transparency and corporate responsibility are more crucial than ever.
The New Body: Robotics and IoT with AI Bring AI into Our Homes
Agent AI isn't just getting a "brain" and "nerves"; it's getting a "body." The convergence of AI with robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) is bringing this intelligence into the physical world in tangible ways.
From the Lawn to the Laboratory: The Award-Winning Robot
The next generation of robots are not "dumb" and programmed for a single task. They are powered by AI, adaptable, and capable of "seeing" and "learning" from their environments.
Sunseeker Robotics LiDAR Mower S4: Sunseeker announced that its robotic lawn mower has been named a CES Innovation Awards® 2026 Honoree . This isn't your lawn "Roomba." It's the first lawn mower to use LiDAR , the same "light detection and ranging" technology used in advanced self-driving cars. It doesn't need boundary wires; it uses AI and LiDAR to map the yard in 3D, identify obstacles (like a child's toy), and navigate with precision.
Sharpa's AI-Powered Robotic Hand: Sharpa , a robotics company from Singapore, also won a CES 2026 Innovation Award for its "AI-powered robotic hand," SharpaWave. This is a monumental shift from a robotic "claw" to a dexterous, multi-functional "hand." Powered by AI, it can manipulate delicate objects, learn new tasks, and bring a level of human-like dexterity to manufacturing and logistics.
The IoT Ecosystem: A Smarter and More Connected World
AI is also being incorporated into smaller devices, creating an IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem where the environment around us becomes intelligent.
ASMAX at EICMA 2025: At the world's largest motorcycle show in Milan, ASMAX presented its "Next-Generation Intelligent Riding IoT Ecosystem." This is AI for "outdoor enthusiasts." Think smart helmets that communicate, biometric sensors that monitor rider fatigue, and predictive navigation systems that adapt to road conditions – all powered by an AI hub.
The "Maker" and the Smart Home
This physical AI technology is becoming accessible.
Monport Laser: Monport Laser 's Black Friday sales announcement is revealing: "Industrial-Grade Lasers at Prices Made for Makers." Precision tools once restricted to high-tech factories are now being sold to hobbyists and small businesses. These machines use AI to guide lasers for perfect cuts and engravings.
The Renovation Spree: Flooring365.co.uk 's "Black November Surge" is driven by a "seasonal renovation boom." While it sounds simple, this boom is facilitated by digital tools – from AI-based design software to the ease of e-commerce – that empower homeowners to undertake complex projects.
The New Global Map: AI Hubs Beyond Silicon Valley
The most profound consequence of the agentic AI era is geopolitical. The race for AI supremacy is no longer centered solely in Silicon Valley. A new map of power, global and multipolar, is being drawn in real time.
The "Miracle in Zhejiang": The Full Integration of AI in China
China is executing a deliberate, full-stack strategy to integrate AI into all aspects of its economy and culture, and Zhejiang province is at the epicenter.
"They See Miracles in Zhejiang" (CCTV+): China's state media is actively promoting the province. International visitors, including government officials and businesspeople, are being drawn to Zhejiang to witness its technological and economic success.
Transforming Cinema (iQIYI): iQIYI , a Chinese entertainment giant, held its first "Virtual Production Open Day" in Hengdian, Zhejiang. They are showing the world how AI and virtual production (the technology used in "The Mandalorian" ) are "transforming filmmaking."
Dominating Healthtech (Smartee): Smartee Denti-Technology has opened a 1,200-square-meter "Digital Orthodontic Technology 4.0 Exhibition Hall" in Jiaxing, Zhejiang. This showcases how AI and robotics are revolutionizing healthcare.
Zhejiang is being carefully curated and showcased to the world as a cutting-edge AI innovation hub, from media to medicine.
Dubai's $1.1 Trillion Bet: The New Global Capital of Startups
The Middle East, particularly the United Arab Emirates, is using its vast capital to aggressively transition from oil to data. Dubai is positioning itself as the essential global connector for AI innovation.
GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star: The 10th edition of Expand North Star in Dubai was an event of impressive proportions. The event "reinforced the UAE's global leadership in startup growth and funding," hosting 2,000 startups and 1,200 investors managing over US$1.1 trillion in assets under management (AUM). These numbers are astronomical and position Dubai as a venture capital hub that rivals any other in the world.
The Doers Summit: A new event, the Doers Summit , debuts in Dubai with a clear objective: "To highlight Dubai as the Next Great Startup Hub in Asia."
The UAE is using its capital, strategic location, and favorable regulatory environment to become the preferred hub for AI talent and money to flow into.
The Global South Rises: New Markets, New Voices
The map is being redrawn everywhere.
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Tourism " captivated audiences" at WTM 2025 in London, holding over 500 strategic meetings. Like Dubai, Riyadh is using its capital to build a new post-oil economy focused on tourism.
Latin America: Enghouse's (Canada) acquisition of Sixbell 's (Chile) Telecommunications Division demonstrates the growing investment and consolidation in Latin American technology markets.
The Global Media Forum (VMF): Held in Xi'an, China, the forum called for "amplifying the voice of the Global South," indicating a geopolitical desire to create new media narratives and networks of influence outside of traditional Western power centers.
The "Augmented" Human: How AI Is Shaping Healthcare, Media, and Education
Ultimately, all this infrastructure and agentic AI are being directed toward transforming the most fundamental human experiences: our health, our creativity, and our education.
The New "Smart" and Predictive Healthcare
The biggest impact of AI will be on people.
Accelerating Drug Discovery: Harbour BioMed and Evinova China have announced a "Strategic Collaboration in AI" to "accelerate the development of AI-enabled drugs." AI can analyze genomic data and clinical trials at a speed impossible for humans, reducing the time to discover new drugs from a decade to months.
Non-Invasive Visualization: Enspectra Health had a study published in the prestigious journal JAMA Dermatology that validated its imaging system. Essentially, it's an AI that allows doctors to "see" histological features of the skin (such as cancer) non-invasively, without the need for a painful biopsy.
The Niche AI Revolution (GLP-1): Perhaps the most fascinating example is MENU ORDER AI . This app is being launched on the App Store and is designed for a very specific niche: the "High Protein/GLP-1 Revolution". As millions of people use medications like Ozempic (GLP-1), their lifestyle and dietary needs change. This app uses AI to scan restaurant menus and find compatible (high protein) meals. It's a perfect example of AI acting as a personal health assistant.
The "Agentic" Creator: AI Transforms Media and Education
AI is not replacing creativity; it is becoming a new creative tool.
Virtual Production (iQIYI): AI and game engines are enabling filmmakers to create photorealistic worlds in the studio, fundamentally changing the economics of film production.
The "Oriental Palette" (Migu Video): The fantasy martial arts drama "Whispers of Fate" has become a hit. The press release credits the show's unique visual aesthetic to an "Oriental Palette," a term that strongly suggests the use of generative AI to create and enhance the series' visual style.
Fintech as Education (The Nomad Trader): This new "prop trading" company is focused on "demystifying" the market with "simplicity, education, and financial freedom." The new wave of fintech isn't just about faster trading; it's about using AI and digital platforms to teach finance.
Education and Climate (Education Cannot Wait): Finally, the call at COP30 to place early childhood education at the center of climate discussions is a vital recognition. Technology alone will not save us. The next generation must be educated to manage the AI tools and sustainability challenges they will inherit.
Conclusion: The Era of Physical and Agent AI Has Arrived
The announcements from early November 2025 paint a cohesive and unmistakable picture. The era of AI as mere "software" or "chatbot" is over. We have entered the era of Physical and Agentic Artificial Intelligence .
The Brain (Agent AI): AI is no longer just responding; it's acting . High-profile adoptions, such as Globant 's LALIGA and BingX 's "Competitive AI ," show that autonomous agents are becoming a new digital workforce.
The Muscle (Energy and Infrastructure): This new workforce has an unprecedented hunger for energy. The NatGas To Power Forum is public recognition that the AI revolution is now an energy revolution, demanding massive and stable new energy sources.
The Body (Robotics and IoT): AI is gaining a physical body. The CES innovation awards for Sunseeker's LiDAR Lawn Mower and Sharpa's Robotic Hand prove that intelligent and agile robots are leaving the labs and entering our homes.
Vulnerability (Cybersecurity): This new "brain-body" world is inherently connected and therefore vulnerable. The boom in the $14 billion automotive cybersecurity market is a direct consequence of putting AI in the driver's seat.
The New Map (Geopolitics): The race for AI supremacy is global and multipolar. Silicon Valley is no longer alone. Capital and innovation hubs in Dubai (GITEX) and high-tech manufacturing centers in Zhejiang, China (iQIYI, Smartee) , are becoming power centers in their own right.
This new era is defined by convergence. AI is driving healthcare ( MENU ORDER AI ), media ( iQIYI ), and finance ( The Nomad Trader ). The future will not belong to companies that are good at just one thing, but to those that can master the complex interaction between the AI brain, the robotics body, and the energy that powers it all.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
P1: What is Agentive Artificial Intelligence (Agent AI)? R1: Agentive AI is the next evolution of AI. Unlike a chatbot (which passively responds to a command), an AI "agent" is an autonomous system that can be given a complex objective (such as "plan my vacation" or "optimize league operations") and then create and execute a multi-step plan, interact with other systems, and make decisions to achieve that objective with minimal human intervention.
Q2: Why do AI data centers need so much natural gas? A2: AI data centers, especially those training and running large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI, have a massive, constant (24/7), and high-density energy demand. Renewable energy sources like solar and wind are intermittent (they don't work at night or when there's no wind). Natural gas is a "dispatchable" energy source, meaning it can be switched on and off quickly to provide the reliable, uninterrupted baseload power that AI requires, filling the gaps left by renewables.
P3: What is the "Automotive Cybersecurity" market? R3: It's a rapidly growing cybersecurity sector focused on protecting a car's digital systems. Modern cars are "computers on wheels" connected to the internet, with AI systems that control steering, braking, and navigation. This makes them vulnerable to hackers. The automotive cybersecurity market, projected to be worth over $14 billion by 2030, creates firewalls, encryption, and intrusion detection systems to prevent malicious attacks from taking control of a vehicle.
P4: What are the new global centers of AI innovation? R4: While Silicon Valley (USA) remains a leader, powerful new AI innovation centers are rapidly emerging. Dubai (United Arab Emirates) is using its vast capital and events like GITEX GLOBAL to become a global hub for AI startups and investors, attracting talent from around the world. China , particularly in provinces like Zhejiang , is demonstrating a deep integration of AI at both the industrial and cultural levels, from high-tech manufacturing (Geely) to media production (iQIYI) and healthtech (Smartee).
P5: How is AI changing drug development and healthcare? R5: AI is dramatically accelerating healthcare. In drug development (as seen in the Harbour BioMed collaboration), AI can analyze vast genomic and chemical datasets to predict how new drugs will work, cutting years off the discovery process. In diagnostics (as in Enspectra Health), AI can analyze medical images (such as skin scans) to detect diseases like cancer non-invasively and with greater accuracy. And in lifestyle (as in MENU ORDER AI), AI acts as a personal health assistant to help patients manage chronic conditions or diets, such as those associated with GLP-1 medications.
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