This post was originally published on Medium on Nov. 20, 2024. The rise of agentic AI has fueled excitement around agents that autonomously perform tasks, make recommendations, and execute complex workflows blending AI with traditional computing. But creating such agents in real-world, product-driven environments presents challenges that go beyond the AI itself.

Buckle up, we’re past the AI hype. Now, it’s about making intelligent systems that act on our behalf. In 2025, AI isn’t just a tool– it’s becoming our core way of operating, powered by real-time data. How we stream, manage and monetize that data will define the next generation of business. Here, we zoom into four examples of what autonomous real-time intelligence could look like in the coming year.

In the world of data processing and messaging systems, terms like "queue" and "streaming" often pop up. While they might sound similar, they serve different purposes, and can significantly impact how your system handles data. Let’s break down the differences in a straightforward way.

From humble beginnings, Apache Kafka steadily rose to prominence and now sits as the backbone of data streaming for thousands of organizations worldwide. From its robust API, cloud-native implementations like Confluent Cloud, and synergy with other technologies like Apache Flink, Kafka has grown to cover many use cases across a broad range of industries.