Latest Artificial Intelligence R&D Session with Digitalent & Mike Nedelko - (Episode 013) Feb 26th 2026

The Future of Agentic AI: Self-Evolving Agents, Reinforcement Learning & the Limits of Autonomous IntelligenceDescription:In this AI R&D session, we explore one of the biggest paradigm shifts happening in artificial intelligence today: the rise of self-evolving AI agents.We break down how new agent architectures are moving beyond static models toward systems that can develop their own skills, learn from experience, and continuously improve through reinforcement learning. We also examine OpenClaw—the fastest-growing open-source AI agent project in history—and what its rapid adoption tells us about the future of agentic AI. The session dives into cutting-edge research on skill-based learning, memory architecture, and reinforcement learning frameworks like SkillRL, which demonstrate that smarter AI may come from better learning structures—not just bigger models.We also explore a fascinating and controversial experiment where autonomous AI agents interacting without human supervision began developing shared beliefs, alternative communication methods, and unsafe behaviours—highlighting critical limitations in fully autonomous systems.This discussion provides a clear view into where AI is heading, what’s possible today, and why human oversight may remain essential in the development of advanced intelligent systems.Topics covered:Agentic AI and self-evolving agentsOpenClaw and open-source AI agent ecosystemsSkill-based learning vs model-based intelligenceReinforcement learning for agent self-improvementMemory architecture and long-running agentsAI safety, alignment, and entropyAutonomous agent experiments and emergent behavioursThe future of human-AI collaborationWhether you're a founder, engineer, researcher, or AI enthusiast, this session will give you a clear, practical understanding of the next wave of AI systems.