An AI agent is a program that, given a goal, decides which steps to take, which tools or data to consult, and when to consider a task complete, all without every step being explicitly programmed. That sets it apart from classic automation, where the sequence of steps is fixed and rule-based.
It also differs from a chatbot: a chatbot answers questions by following a script or retrieving information, but it does not execute chained actions or decide how to proceed. An agent, by contrast, might read an email, decide which department it belongs to, query a database and draft a reply, chaining several steps together autonomously.
That autonomy is useful for variable processes, but it carries risks: an agent can take an unexpected path, compound errors, or generate variable costs depending on how many actions it runs. That is why we recommend agents only when the process justifies it, and always with defined human oversight.