Blog - Isos Technology

Agentic AI vs. traditional agents in Atlassian: Where we are & where we're headed

Written by Danielle Paula | Feb 20, 2025

Agentic AI is one of the hottest topics in tech right now. It promises AI-driven autonomy—systems that don’t just follow rules but perceive, reason, decide, and act with minimal human input. But how close are we to that reality? More importantly, how does this apply to Atlassian products like Jira Service Management (JSM), Rovo, and ITSM Virtual Agents?

Let’s break it down: what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s on the horizon.

Traditional vs. Agentic AI: The key differences

Traditional agents (where we are today)

Most ITSM agents in Atlassian products—like JSM—fall squarely into the traditional category. They rely on:

Rule-based workflows: Automations that follow predefined triggers, conditions, and actions.
Reactive operations: They wait for user input (e.g., a ticket submission) before taking action.
Limited decision-making: While they can intelligently route tickets or suggest knowledge base articles, they don’t independently decide on strategies or adjust workflows dynamically.

Agentic AI (where we want to go)

Agentic AI is comprised of the next step systems that:

Perceive and adapt: Instead of static workflows, they respond dynamically to new information.
Make decisions autonomously: They don’t just follow rules; they adjust strategies based on goals.
Improve over time: They learn from interactions, becoming more effective without manual reconfiguration.

Think of the differences like this, a traditional agent is like an assembly line worker following a strict set of instructions. An agentic AI is like a self-managing project lead, adjusting tasks as needed to hit a goal.

Atlassian's AI evolution: A step toward Agentic AI

We’re not at full-blown Agentic AI yet, but Atlassian is steadily bridging the gap with smarter, more adaptable AI-powered tools. Let’s look at what’s already here and how it’s pushing traditional ITSM agents closer to the agentic future.

Virtual Agents in Jira Service Management (JSM) powered by Atlassian Intelligence:

These AI-driven assistants are doing more than just following static scripts. They can handle basic support requests in chat, suggest relevant knowledge base articles, and even automate simple workflows. But here’s where it gets interesting: they now use generative AI to search across linked knowledge bases, summarize information for users, and remember context for follow-up questions. So, instead of just serving up a list of help articles, they actually deliver helpful, human-like responses.

Predictive insights - AI that helps agents work smarter: 

Triage can be a headache, but Atlassian Intelligence is making it easier by offering AI-powered recommendations. It can suggest new request types for multiple issues during triage, cutting down on manual sorting and letting support teams focus on what really matters—resolving high-priority problems. Think of it as an AI-powered assistant that quietly sorts through the mess so you don’t have to.

Rovo plus Forge - Building AI-powered teammates:

Rovo is Atlassian’s AI-powered work assistant, designed to help teams extract actionable insights from scattered data. But when paired with Forge, Atlassian’s development platform, things get really exciting. Developers can build configurable AI teammates that integrate into existing workflows, interact with humans in multi-step processes, and reduce repetitive work. In other words, Rovo plus Forge isn’t just a chatbot—it’s a foundation for truly adaptable AI automation.

What’s possible now vs. what’s still a dream?

Here's what possible today:

  • AI-powered virtual agents
  • Smart ticket routing and prioritization
  • AI-driven recommendations

What's not quite there yet:

  • Fully autonomous, self-managing AI agents
  • AI that can replace human decision-making in ITSM
  • Systems that dynamically reconfigure workflows on their own

The bottom line

Atlassian’s ITSM agents aren’t fully agentic yet, but they’re evolving. The integration of AI into products like JSM, Rovo, and Forge shows a clear shift toward more adaptive, proactive systems.

We’re not at the point where AI can truly manage ITSM on its own, but we’re definitely on the runway, engines revving. The key takeaway? Keep an eye on this space—because the future of agentic AI in Atlassian tools is just getting started.

Ready to Bring Smarter AI to Your Atlassian Tools?

Agentic AI may not be fully here yet, but the path is clear—and we can help you get ahead of the curve. Whether you're looking to implement AI-powered virtual agents in Jira Service Management, optimize workflows with predictive insights, or build intelligent AI teammates with Rovo and Forge, we’ve got the expertise to make it happen.

Let’s bring smarter automation and adaptive AI to your Atlassian ecosystem. Get in touch with us today to explore what’s possible!