The Art [in] Artificial
When we first chose “New Tech” as the focus for our annual Corrugated Issue, we had no idea that Artificial Intelligence (AI) would explode into the packaging arena and dominate almost every new tech conversation. The most predictable thing about changing technology is the rate at which it comes flying at us: faster every minute.
For instance, I now know the difference between generative AI and agentic AI. Generative AI relies on user prompts and uses advanced machine learning to generate entirely new outputs; I think it’s what most people think of when they worry about robots taking over for human poets, artists, and musicians.
Agentic AI, on the other hand, is like having a new employee—an agent, if you will—capable of collecting, sorting, and processing data points a zillion times faster than an ordinary human. (I’m still fact-checking whether “zillion” is the scientifically preferred term.)