What is AI agent?
An AI agent is AI that does not just answer, but carries out steps on its own to finish a task, like looking something up or booking a meeting.
An ordinary chatbot gives an answer. An AI agent goes a step further: it gets a goal and works out the in-between steps to reach it itself. For example: find three quotes, compare them and put the result in an email. The agent decides for itself which actions are needed.
This is a direction many tools are heading in. It is powerful, which is exactly why you want to see what the agent is doing before you let it loose on real work.
Put precisely
An agent works out in-between steps and carries them out too, such as searching, emailing or ordering. If something goes wrong, it may already have happened before you see it.
Common misconception
That an agent only does exactly what you asked. It chooses for itself which actions are needed.
Related words
Understand AI, calmly
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