The practical answer
An AI agent is software that can understand a goal, decide what actions to take, use tools or business systems, and complete multi-step work with limited human intervention.
Questions teams ask
How is an AI agent different from a chatbot?+
A chatbot mainly responds to messages. An agent can take actions, call tools, use data and move through several steps to achieve a goal.
Where are AI agents useful?+
They are most useful in repeatable workflows that require decisions, tool use, data retrieval or coordination across systems.
Do AI agents need human oversight?+
Often, yes. Important actions should have clear permissions, review points and auditability.