AI Agent

An AI agent is a software component built on top of a language model that can pursue a goal by reasoning about what to do next and then taking actions, such as calling tools, querying data, or drafting and sending output. Unlike a plain chatbot that only returns text, an agent operates in a loop: it observes the current state, decides on a step, performs it, observes the result, and continues until the task is done or it needs input. An agent is usually given a role, a set of permitted tools, and constraints that bound what it is allowed to do.

In a business context, agents are assigned concrete responsibilities such as triaging incoming leads, drafting replies, updating records, or preparing code changes. Multiple agents can be combined so that each handles part of a workflow and passes work to the next, which is the building block of a larger AI workforce. Well-designed agent systems keep humans in control of consequential steps by surfacing proposed actions for approval rather than executing them automatically.