AI agent
Also known as: AI agents, autonomous agent
What is ai agent?
An AI agent is software that receives a goal, plans the steps needed to reach it, executes those steps using external tools or APIs, and reports the outcome. What separates an agent from a chatbot is tool use and multi-step execution, not conversation.
The term is used loosely by vendors. A working test: if the system cannot take an action in another system without a human clicking something, it is an assistant, not an agent.
Typical components
- A goal or trigger
- A planning loop that decomposes the goal
- Tool access — CRM, email, database, browser
- Guardrails and an approval boundary
- Logging so every action is auditable
Where agents work today
Narrow, well-instrumented processes with a clear success signal: lead research, ticket triage, data reconciliation, scheduling. Open-ended judgement work still needs a human in the loop.
Last reviewed by the gAIcko editorial team.