Also known as: AI Agent Β· Intelligent Agent Β· AI Agents Β· Artificial Intelligence Agent
An AI Agent is an entity or software system that perceives an environment, interprets inputs, and takes actions to achieve goals. In generative AI and automation, agents may plan tasks, call tools or APIs, interact with users or systems, and operate with varying degrees of autonomy; in reinforcement learning, an agent selects actions under a policy to maximize expected return.
Software that can reason about user inputs in order to plan and execute actions on behalf of the user. In reinforcement learning, an agent is the entity that uses a policy to maximize the expected return gained from transitioning between states of the environment.
In the context of generative AI, an agent is software that autonomously plans and executes a series of actions in pursuit of a goal, potentially in novel situations. Agents can be used in various applications, such as natural language processing, machine learning, and robotics. For example, an LLM agent uses a language model to evaluate the environment and choose an action to help it achieve its goal. LLM agents can be used to generate text, translate languages, and answer questions.
An autonomous entity which acts, directing its activity towards achieving goals (i.e. it is an agent), upon an environment using observation through sensors and consequent actuators (i.e. it is intelligent). Intelligent agents may also learn or use knowledge to achieve their goals. They may be very simple or very complex.
A side-by-side comparison of Chatbot and AI Agent. Understand how a conversational interface differs from a goal-directed system that can interpret inputs and take actions.
A side-by-side comparison of Agentic AI and AI Agent. Understand how agentic AI describes a class of autonomous goal-pursuing systems, while an AI agent is the entity or software system that acts.
A side-by-side comparison of AI Agent and AI Worker. Understand how the terms differ, when each applies, and what the distinction means for AI governance, system design, or assurance evidence.
A side-by-side comparison of AI Agent and Bot. Understand how the terms differ, when each applies, and what the distinction means for AI governance, system design, or assurance evidence.