Definition
AI agents move beyond single-response chat. They break goals into steps, call tools or APIs, inspect results, and continue until the task is complete or a guardrail requires human input.
How it works
Agent systems combine a model, instructions, tool access, memory, planning logic, and evaluation checks. The safest systems keep humans in the loop for high-risk actions.
Why it matters at work
Agents can automate multi-step workflows, but they also expand risk. Teams need to understand permissions, monitoring, fallbacks, and accountability before deploying them.
Workplace example
A revenue operations agent drafts account research, updates a CRM field, and queues a human-approved outreach sequence instead of sending messages autonomously.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is an AI agent different from a chatbot?
A chatbot responds to a prompt. An AI agent pursues a goal across multiple steps, often using tools or external systems to act on the user's behalf.