AI glossary
Agent
An AI system that runs a workflow — fetches data, calls tools, decides between branches, escalates to humans when its confidence is low. Different from a chatbot (which answers questions) in that an agent takes actions.
The longer version
The defining feature of an agent vs a chatbot is action. Chatbots answer; agents do. In production, agents pair a language model with: (a) a tool-use loop that lets the model call external functions, (b) a memory layer for multi-step context, (c) explicit guardrails on which actions are allowed without human approval, and (d) escalation paths when confidence drops. We design agents exception-first — the refusal cases, escalation queues, and failure modes get scoped before the happy path. See /playbooks/agent-design for the full pattern.
Related terms
Agentic workflow
A multi-step process where one or more AI agents coordinate to achieve an outcome. Often involves planning, tool use, retrieval, and human-in-loop checkpoints.
Guardrails
Constraints that limit what an agent can do — what files it can touch, what actions need human approval, what topics it refuses. Differentiates production AI from a demo.
