What is AI agent?

An AI agent is an AI system that can take steps to complete a goal, not just answer a single question. It might plan tasks, use tools like search or calendars, and make choices based on results. For everyday users, agents can help automate work such as organizing information, drafting messages, or completing multi-step requests. A downside is that agents can make mistakes, take unwanted actions if given too much access, or follow unclear instructions in risky ways, so they need limits, permissions, and human review.

An AI agent is like a computer helper that can do a whole job with several steps. You give it a goal, and it tries to figure out what to do first, next, and last. It can be useful, but an adult should check its work.

Imagine you are doing a school project and you make a checklist: find facts, take notes, write a draft, then fix mistakes. An AI agent is like a helper that follows a checklist to reach the goal. If the checklist is unclear, it might do the wrong step, so you still keep an eye on it.