Video produced by Steve Nathans-Kelly
In this clip from Data Summit 2026, Sanjeev Mohan, principal, SanjMo and former Gartner Research VP, data and analytics, demystifies the nature and critical elements of AI agents to arrive at a working definition of what distinguishes them from AI assistants.
Using OpenClaw as an example, Mohan said, agents work across multiple steps without human intervention at each turn—meaning it’s much more autonomous than an AI assistant.
“If it makes a mistake, it’s constantly learning,” Mohan said. “An agent is autonomous. They are stateful, they know the previous action. It is goal oriented.”
The annual Data Summit conference returned to Boston, May 6-7, 2026, with pre-conference workshops on May 5.
Videos and clips of presentations from Data Summit 2026 are now available for on-demand viewing on the DBTA YouTube channel.
More information about Data Summit 2027 is coming soon.