What is an AI Agent?

// December 21, 2025

An AI agent is an autonomous system that can perceive its environment, make decisions, and take actions to achieve goals. Unlike chatbots that respond to each message in isolation, agents can plan multi-step tasks and execute them with minimal human intervention.

Key Characteristics

Autonomy

Agents operate without constant human oversight. Given a goal, they figure out how to achieve it.

Planning

Agents break down complex goals into steps and execute them sequentially, adapting as they go.

Tool Use

Agents can use external tools:

• Search the web
• Read and write files
• Execute code
• Call APIs
• Control other software

Memory

Advanced agents maintain context across sessions, learning from previous interactions.

Types of AI Agents

Single-Task Agents

Focused on specific domains:

• Coding agents (Cursor, GitHub Copilot)
• Research agents (Perplexity, You.com)
• Writing agents (Claude, GPT-4)

Multi-Task Agents

General-purpose agents that handle diverse tasks:

• Manus
• AutoGPT
• LangChain agents

Hybrid Agents

Combine specific capabilities with general reasoning:

• Claude with tools
• ChatGPT with plugins
• Moltbot

How AI Agents Work

1. Receive goal — Understand what the user wants to achieve
2. Plan approach — Break into actionable steps
3. Execute — Take actions using available tools
4. Evaluate — Check if the goal is achieved
5. Iterate — Adjust approach based on results

Real-World Applications

• Software development — Build features end-to-end
• Research — Synthesize information from multiple sources
• Content creation — Draft, edit, and publish
• Operations — Automate business workflows
• Personal assistance — Manage schedules, emails, tasks

Limitations

• Can make errors in complex tasks
• May require human oversight
• Limited by available tools and APIs
• Ethical considerations around autonomy

The Future

AI agents are evolving from tools to collaborators. The next generation will:

• Handle more complex, multi-step tasks
• Work together in agent swarms
• Learn and improve from experience
• Become increasingly autonomous

Related:

• Programmable Internet Agents — Connect agents to web services
• What is Manus? — General purpose agent platform
• Claude Skills: The Complete Guide

VIEW_TOOLS — Explore AI agent tools