01In plain English
An AI agent is software that is given a goal and works out the steps itself. Unlike a chatbot, which answers and waits, an agent can take actions: search, fill in forms, send emails, update records or book things, often across several tools in a row.
02Why it matters when you are choosing
Agents can take over whole tasks, not just help with them. That also means mistakes happen without anyone watching, so the controls around an agent matter as much as how clever it is.
03What to check
Ask the vendor
Check what it is allowed to do on its own, what needs your approval, whether every action is logged, and how quickly you can stop it.