What is a proof of concept (POC)?
A focused evaluation of one strongest-fit agent in a realistic setting, not a multi-vendor bake-off.
A proof of concept, or POC, is a focused evaluation of a single, strongest-fit AI agent in a realistic environment, as opposed to a sprawling multi-vendor bake-off.
A single-threaded POC gives a team more control, lets them go deeper, and produces a stronger signal about real-world performance, often making it the fastest path to a confident decision.
See it on SupportWire
Related terms
- Continuous improvement loop A structured cycle: train, test, deploy, analyze, repeat. Systems that learn by default.
- Lightweight governance A low-friction way to keep iterating on an AI agent without bureaucracy.
- Sandbox testing vs. live testing Two environments for evaluating an agent: controlled sandbox and real production traffic.
- Human involvement rate How often humans step in, and whether those moments are genuinely high value.