AI agent
Also called agent, agentic AI
An AI that carries out a task in steps, using tools such as a browser, your files or apps, instead of only replying.
A chatbot answers. An agent does. Give it a goal (book a table, compare 3 insurance quotes, tidy a spreadsheet) and it works in a loop: decide the next step, use a tool to take it, look at the result, decide again, until it judges the job done.
The tools are what make it useful, and what make it risky. An agent that can browse, fill in forms or send email can save you an afternoon. It can also act on a wrong assumption, or on instructions hidden in a page it reads. That's why well-built agents stop and ask before anything you can't undo, like paying or sending.
For example
Asking an assistant to find a dentist with Saturday hours near you and fill in the booking form, stopping before it submits, is an agent task.
Put it to use
Where you'll meet AI agent in ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, how to use it there, and the mix-up most people make.
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