Zhejiang University, The
Abstract
The rise of LLM-powered agents is driving a fundamental transformation in
services computing: from static, request-response functions to dynamic,
goal-oriented, and autonomous multi-agent ecosystems. In response to this
shift, we introduce Agentic Service Computing (ASC), a new paradigm that
reimagines services as intelligent, self-adaptive, and socially embedded
entities. This comprehensive survey presents a lifecycle-driven framework for
ASC, structured around four core phases: Design, Deployment, Operation, and
Evolution. We systematically analyze ASC through four foundational research
dimensions: (1) Perception, Context, and Environment Modeling, (2) Autonomous
Decision-Making and Task Execution, (3) Multi-Agent Collaboration and
Organization, and (4) Evaluation, Value Alignment, and Trustworthiness. We
examine how these dimensions are instantiated, integrated, and continuously
adapted across the service lifecycle. Our synthesis reveals that agentic
services are not merely assembled but orchestrated: contextual awareness
enables robust deployment; autonomous reasoning supports real-time operation;
collaborative structures emerge and evolve through interaction; and
trustworthiness must be upheld as a cross-cutting, lifelong imperative. We
further identify and discuss emerging trends shaping the future of ASC. By
integrating classical principles of services computing with advances in
LLM-based multi-agent systems, this work establishes a holistic and
forward-looking foundation for ASC. It provides a unified reference for
researchers and practitioners aiming to develop adaptive, accountable, and
human-centered intelligent services.
AI Insights - Federated learning enables privacyâpreserving onâdevice updates for agentic services.
- Formal verification can guarantee safety of autonomous decision modules in multiâagent ecosystems.
- Dynamic resource schedulers adapt to workload shifts, preserving QoS in agentic clusters.
- OpenAPI extensions for agentic interactions standardize crossâdomain collaboration.
- Benchmarks that score explainability, latency, and trust guide agentic framework comparison.
- Humanâinâtheâloop UIs let users steer agentic goals while preserving autonomy.
- Edgeâcentric deployments cut latency and boost resilience for distributed agentic services.
Mass General Brigham, MIT
Abstract
Large language models (LLMs) integrated into agent-driven workflows hold
immense promise for healthcare, yet a significant gap exists between their
potential and practical implementation within clinical settings. To address
this, we present a practitioner-oriented field manual for deploying generative
agents that use electronic health record (EHR) data. This guide is informed by
our experience deploying the "irAE-Agent", an automated system to detect
immune-related adverse events from clinical notes at Mass General Brigham, and
by structured interviews with 20 clinicians, engineers, and informatics leaders
involved in the project. Our analysis reveals a critical misalignment in
clinical AI development: less than 20% of our effort was dedicated to prompt
engineering and model development, while over 80% was consumed by the
sociotechnical work of implementation. We distill this effort into five "heavy
lifts": data integration, model validation, ensuring economic value, managing
system drift, and governance. By providing actionable solutions for each of
these challenges, this field manual shifts the focus from algorithmic
development to the essential infrastructure and implementation work required to
bridge the "valley of death" and successfully translate generative AI from
pilot projects into routine clinical care.