Why the distinction matters In the channel's material on AI and the future of work, this distinction appears when discussing how AI agents reshape specific jobs and what humans can still contribute. Autonomy refers to a system's capacity to operate on its own; agency refers to the capacity to act deliberately on one's own behalf, with intent and accountability. The material's central argument — that the more we automate, the more expert human work tends to exist — rests on this gap: agents can be granted autonomy over narrow tasks, while agency (setting goals, judging outcomes, taking responsibility) stays with people. How it is used here In How to Stay Employable in the Age of Agents, the distinction frames the practical playbook for staying employable: as agents spread, employability depends on moving toward the work that requires human agency — deciding what to do, evaluating what agents produce, and owning the results — rather than competing on tasks that can be delegated to autonomous systems. <KeyPoint>Autonomy = operating without supervision on given tasks; agency = intent, judgment, and accountability for one's own actions.</KeyPoint> <KeyPoint>The channel ties employability to human agency, not to competing with autonomous task execution.</KeyPoint>