What is an AI agent?
An AI agent is a goal-directed system that plans and executes multiple steps on its own, choosing and calling tools and adapting as it goes, unlike a chatbot that only talks or an RPA bot that only follows fixed rules.
Autonomy toward a goal
The essence of an agent is being given an objective rather than a script. It decides the steps, which is powerful for variable work and precisely what requires governance.
When you hand an agent a goal instead of instructions, you gain flexibility and give up some predictability. That trade is worth it for complex, variable tasks and dangerous for consequential ones without controls. Recognizing genuine agents, planning plus tool use, from agentwashed chatbots is the first practical skill, because much of what is marketed as agentic is not.
Frequently asked questions.
Is every AI assistant an agent?
No. An assistant that only answers questions is not an agent. It becomes agentic only when it autonomously plans steps and takes actions with tools to accomplish a goal.