AI agent

An AI system that works in a loop: it decides what to do next, uses a tool to do it, observes the result, and repeats until the task is done or a person steps in.

An AI agent is a system that works in a loop: it decides what to do next, uses a tool to do it, observes the result, and repeats until the task is done or a person steps in. It breaks a goal into steps, picks a tool for each step (searching files, querying a database, sending a message), reads what comes back, adjusts its plan, and moves on. A chatbot, by contrast, generates one response and waits for your next message. That ongoing cycle of reasoning and action is what separates an agent from a one-shot assistant.

Builder example

Building an agent means building a system that takes real actions without waiting for permission at every step. A chatbot can give a bad answer; an agent can send a bad email, delete a file, or spend money. Design your loop with clear stop conditions, permission boundaries, and logging from the start.

A customer asks for a refund. The agent can read the order, check policy, and issue the refund.

Give it read tools first, require approval for payment actions, and log every decision input.

Common confusion: Many products labeled "AI agents" are single model calls wrapped in a UI. A real agent has a decision loop, tool access, and the ability to act on what it observes across multiple steps.