AI agent

An AI agent is a system built on language models that carries out a multi-step task autonomously: it decides what to do, uses external tools and chains actions until it reaches a goal. It differs from a chatbot in acting on real systems rather than only producing text.

In a small business the most profitable use is not the most spectacular one: triaging inputs, classifying mail, preparing drafts and consolidating scattered information. Every agent needs explicit limits on what it may touch and a human review point before any irreversible action.

Also called: autonomous agent, AI assistant

Related terms

No-code automationNo-code automation means connecting applications through visual workflows without writing code. It lets an action in one tool trigger tasks in others: a submitted form creates a record, notifies the team and schedules a reminder with no human involvement.
Prompt engineeringPrompt engineering is the practice of framing instructions to a language model so results are reliable and repeatable. It means supplying enough context, defining the output format and bounding the criteria, so the same request produces consistent quality rather than depending on luck.
Remote stackA remote stack is the set of tools underpinning a distributed person or team: communication, documentation, task management, storage, payments and automation. It is defined not by the list of applications but by how they fit together and who does what in each.