AI at work

AI agents explained

What 'agents' are and how they differ from chatbots.

A chatbot answers. An agent is given a goal and tools, such as a browser, files or code, and takes several steps to reach it. For example, it might research, write files, test them and report back.

• Good for: multi-step tasks you can describe clearly and check, like building a simple website or tidying a spreadsheet.
• Watch out for: giving agents access to accounts, money or sending messages. Keep a human approval step for anything that can't be undone.

Our free teach-yourself course is about building with AI agents.