AI Agent / Agentic AI
Definition
An AI system that doesn't just answer a question — it takes actions in sequence to complete a task. A basic AI tool responds to each prompt individually. An agent can be given a goal, break it into steps, use tools (search engines, calendars, email), and work through the steps without you prompting each one. They are genuinely useful. They also do things autonomously, which raises questions worth understanding before you hand over access to your inbox.
Why It Matters
This is where AI is heading fastest. You'll encounter the term more and more in the next twelve months.
What does that look like in practice?
You tell an AI agent 'book me a dentist appointment next week,' and it checks your calendar, finds a slot, and fills in the booking form for you.
What people actually mean when they say this
When someone says 'I've got an AI agent doing it,' they usually mean a tool that carries out a multi-step task on its own, not just a chatbot answering one question at a time.
Last reviewed: March 2026
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