You have a folder of invoices and want a list of the ones missing a date. You could open each one yourself. Or, if your AI assistant has access to the folder, you could ask it to check the files and prepare a list.
That is the kind of job an AI agent can help with. It receives a goal, works out some of the steps and uses the tools available to it. What it can actually do depends on the product and the permissions you give it.
How is that different from a chatbot?
A chatbot might explain how to organise the invoices. An agent with the right access may be able to inspect the files and prepare a spreadsheet. The same product can offer both conversation and agent-like features.
An agent does not need you to spell out every click. It may look at a file, notice something is missing and check another. The result is not automatically right, though: check a few entries against the originals.
What should I check before starting?
Give it a clear task and only the access needed for that task. You can start with sample documents and ask it to show you the result before taking further action. An assistant that can draft an email cannot necessarily send it; the available actions depend on the service and its settings.
Does it think for itself?
An agent can choose a next step and change its approach. That does not establish that it has human feelings or desires. It is software working with instructions, tools and permissions.
Our AI task chooser can help you decide what might suit your own task.
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