12.2 AI Agents and Automation
AI agents don't just answer - they plan and take actions using tools, like browsing, coding or booking things.
Chapter 12: Future of Artificial Intelligence
A chatbot answers one question at a time. An AI agent takes a goal ("research three laptops under $800 and put them in a comparison table") and figures out the steps itself.
It runs a loop: plan the steps, use tools (web search, code, apps, files), check the result, and adjust until the goal is done. It's the agent loop from Chapter 3 - with software tools instead of wheels.
Agents are powerful but can make mistakes across many steps, so good agents ask for confirmation before important actions like sending emails or spending money.
Key takeaways
Agents plan and act toward a goal
They use tools: search, code, apps
Good agents check in before important actions