AI agents vs. AI assistants: What’s the difference?

What Is an AI Agent?

An AI agent can work through multiple steps to achieve a goal. Depending on its setup, it can use connected tools, retrieve information, and perform actions with less manual intervention.

For example, an agent could summarize meeting notes, extract action items, create tasks, and notify the relevant team members.

Which One Should You Use?

An AI assistant is ideal for writing, research, brainstorming, and answering questions.

An AI agent is better suited to repeatable workflows that involve multiple steps or tools.

The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Assistants can use tools, and agents can still require human guidance or approval.

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