Seven Layers · Layer 2

AI Agents

AI agents move beyond answering questions. They observe, decide, use tools, and carry out multi-step work toward a goal.

Book section6 chaptersStatus: First edition

About this section

An AI agent is a system that combines a model with goals, tools, memory, rules, and feedback. Instead of producing only a response, it can take a sequence of actions: search for information, call software, update records, send messages, analyze results, and revise its plan.

An application helps a user perform work. An agent increasingly performs the work itself.

This section explains what makes an agent different from a chatbot, how agent systems are designed, where they are useful, why they fail, and which opportunities may matter most.