Dr Barry Scannell, a Partner in William Fry’s Technology Group discusses the rapid shift from AI copilots to fully autonomous agentic AI systems with Irish tech entrepreneur Sean Blanchfield, founder of Jentic.
The conversation examines how AI agents are already operating as digital “workers” within organisations — reviewing contracts, monitoring compliance, managing projects and even writing software and what this means for governance, security, data protection and the future of professional work.
Sean explains the emerging agentic AI ecosystem, including OpenClaw, Claude and co‑work systems, the risks of autonomy without guardrails, and why organisations must begin building the capability to govern AI agents now. The episode also considers the longer‑term implications for white‑collar roles, organisational design and regulatory responsibility.
A practical and thought‑provoking discussion for business leaders, legal professionals and anyone navigating the next phase of AI adoption.
