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What is an AI agent? Watch one do a job from start to finish

An AI agent is AI given a goal that takes several steps on its own to reach it. Below, one agent handles a customer message at 10 pm, step by step.

  • Part 1/3
  • About a 3-minute read
  • Written by Minh Khang
A felt robot behind a shop counter holding a parcel and an order slip, a panda watching contentedly

What is an AI agent?

An AI agent is AI given a goal that then takes several steps on its own to reach it: looking things up, using tools, checking the result and reporting back.

  1. 1Takes a goalNot a question but a job to finish: answer correctly and keep the sale.
  2. 2Uses toolsConnected to stock, delivery, orders and email, and allowed to call them.
  3. 3Checks, then reportsChecks the result against shop rules; anything involving money waits for approval.

Because it does real work, an agent needs the three things a new hire needs: a clearly defined job, just enough permission to do it, and someone checking where it matters.

How does an AI agent work?

Tap each step, or let it play. Tap a step to stop it.

Messenger message, 10:40 pm

Take the job

  • Customer: “Is the blue denim jacket in size M still available? Can it reach Bien Hoa tomorrow?”
  • Goal: confirm stock, give a delivery day, invite them to order.
Read all five steps as text

Messenger message, 10:40 pm

  1. Take the job

    The agent reads the message and sets the goal.

    • Customer: “Is the blue denim jacket in size M still available? Can it reach Bien Hoa tomorrow?”
    • Goal: confirm stock, give a delivery day, invite them to order.

  2. Plan

    Breaks the job into steps before doing anything.

    • 1. Check stock of the blue denim jacket, size M
    • 2. Check delivery slots to Bien Hoa
    • 3. Draft a reply with a draft order

  3. Use tools

    Calls exactly the two tools it may use.

    • check_stock(blue denim jacket, M) → 3 left
    • delivery_slots(Bien Hoa) → tomorrow if ordered before 10:00

  4. Check

    Checks the draft against shop rules.

    • Price taken from the price list: 450,000 VND ✓
    • No exact delivery time promised: within shop rules ✓
    • No discount offered: within shop rules ✓

  5. Report back

    Sends the reply; the important part waits for approval.

    • Reply: “Yes, we have 3 left in size M. Order before 10 am tomorrow and it reaches Bien Hoa the same day.”
    • Draft order created, waiting for the owner to approve.

Common questions

  • It can take over part of the repetitive work, not the person who is responsible. The best split is the agent looking things up and drafting, staff deciding and handling difficult customers.

  • When ChatGPT just chats, it is a chatbot: you ask, it answers. It becomes an agent when it is given a job and allowed to use tools, such as searching the web, reading files or calling other software, over several steps until the job is done.

  • No, not for agents built into sales software, marketplaces or AI assistants. You need someone technical when you want to connect an agent to your own stock or software, for example through MCP or an API.

  • Technically yes, but do not hand that over straight away. Let the agent draft the order and the quote; a person approves before anything is confirmed or refunded.

  • Three parts: the AI model calls (counted in tokens), the work to connect it to your software, and the time to approve and monitor. Start with one small task to learn the real numbers before expanding.

Words in this guide

Each word has its own page in the AI glossary.

Read on · Part 2/3Chatbot or AI agent: the same question, two answersThe same customer question, two very different answers.