What is AI Agent?
Also known as: Agent
An AI Agent (or Agent) is a software system that perceives its environment, reasons about goals, and takes actions autonomously to complete tasks.
It works by combining perception (sensors or data inputs), decision-making (often via LLMs or planners), and action (tools or actuators) in a loop until the goal is reached.
Key ideas include autonomy, tool use, memory for context, and iterative planning, allowing it to handle multi-step problems instead of single responses.
Unlike static models, agents can adapt their behavior based on feedback from the environment or previous actions.
Example
A travel-planning AI agent might check your calendar, search flight options using web tools, compare prices, and book a trip while asking for confirmation only when needed.
Why it matters
Agents extend AI beyond chat interfaces to perform real-world workflows, driving progress toward more capable and useful autonomous systems.
Frequently asked questions
A chatbot mainly responds to single prompts, while an agent can plan, use tools, and execute multi-step tasks over time.
Related terms
Reinforcement Learning (RL) is a machine learning method where an agent learns to make sequential decisions by interacting with an environment, receiving rewards or penalties, and aiming to maximize its long-term reward.
A Large Language Model (LLM) is an AI system trained on massive amounts of text to understand and generate human-like language. It powers tools that can answer questions, write content, translate, and hold conversations.
Tool Use (aka Function Calling) lets AI agents call external tools, APIs, or functions by outputting structured requests instead of just text.
A Multi-Agent System (MAS) is an AI setup where multiple autonomous software agents interact within a shared environment to solve problems or achieve goals. Agents can cooperate, compete, or negotiate independently rather than relying on one central controller.
Agentic AI refers to AI systems that function as autonomous agents, capable of setting goals, making decisions, and taking actions to complete tasks with limited human input.
Agent memory is the component in AI agents that stores and retrieves information from past interactions, enabling recall of context, facts, or experiences to inform future actions.