Agent concepts
AI agent
An AI agent is a system built on a large language model that can take actions in the world by calling tools, not just generate text.
Also called: autonomous agent, LLM agent
Definition
What is an AI agent?
An AI agent is software that uses a large language model as its reasoning engine and is given the ability to act: it can call tools, run code, query databases, browse the web, and chain those actions together to pursue a goal. The model decides what to do next, and each decision can have a real effect outside the conversation.
That autonomy is what makes agents useful and what makes them a security problem. A chatbot that only produces text can say something wrong. An agent that can call tools can delete a record, move money, leak a secret, or send an email, all without a human reading the step first. Securing an agent means governing the boundary where its decisions turn into actions.
FAQ
Common questions.
How is an AI agent different from a chatbot?
A chatbot produces text. An agent produces actions: it can call tools, run code, and change external systems. The blast radius of an agent is therefore much larger than that of a chatbot.
What makes AI agents risky?
Agents act autonomously and can be steered by untrusted content they read. A single injected instruction can turn a helpful agent into one that exfiltrates data or takes a destructive action, with no human in the loop to catch it.
Related terms
Keep reading.
Govern the actions, not just the vocabulary
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