Explainer
What Are AI Agents? How They Work and Why They Matter
Key Points
- AI agents can act, not just answer.
- They combine models, tools and instructions.
- More autonomy brings reliability and security risks.
What is an AI agent?
An AI agent is a software system that uses artificial intelligence to pursue a goal and perform tasks on behalf of a user.
How are agents different from chatbots?
A chatbot primarily generates responses. An agent can additionally use tools, retrieve information and take actions in external systems when it has permission to do so.
Why are AI agents important?
The commercial opportunity is shifting from AI that generates information toward AI that can perform useful work.
What are the risks?
An incorrect agent can do more than produce a bad answer. If it can act on external systems, mistakes may have practical consequences.