What is an AI agent? Examples from your working day
An AI agent does more than answer questions: it can carry out steps for you. Here’s what that means, how it differs from ChatGPT, and how to start safely.
You notice what an AI agent is as soon as you ask ChatGPT to write an email, but then still have to copy, paste and send it yourself. An AI agent can also prepare or carry out those final steps, if you give it permission.
That is useful, but it can also feel a bit daunting. After all, you are not only handing over text, but sometimes actions in your email, calendar, browser or files too. In this article, you will learn how that works, how it differs from ChatGPT, and where you keep control.
What is an AI agent?
An AI agent is AI-based software that is given a goal, decides which steps are needed, and carries out those steps with the tools it has available. So it does not just work with text. It can also prepare or perform actions.
Think of the difference between an intern and a route plan. A route plan is followed step by step. An intern is given a task, then figures out the logical steps for themselves.
IBM describes an AI agent, in broad terms, as a system that performs tasks on behalf of a user or another system. In doing so, the system can create its own workflow and use available tools. That does not mean the agent is conscious. It is still software that can make good choices and bad ones.
A simple chatbot usually waits until you ask something. An agent is given a goal, works out what is needed and gets on with it. That can be small, such as preparing draft emails. It can also be bigger, such as finding information, organising it and processing it in a document.
What is an AI agent in plain English?
In plain English, it is a digital assistant that does not just answer, but also takes steps. You no longer just say: write an email. You say: look at these requests, find suitable times in my calendar and prepare draft replies.
What matters is that an agent cannot just access everything by default. It needs connections and permissions. Think of access to your inbox, your calendar or a folder with documents.
So the question is not only what the agent can do. The question is also what you let it do. A good start is always small and clear.
What is the difference between an AI agent and ChatGPT?
ChatGPT in its ordinary form responds to your question, while an agent works through a task in several steps. That makes an agent feel more like an assistant taking on a job.
The difference is not always sharp. ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini are increasingly getting features that look like agents. That means the line between chatbot and agent is becoming less clear.
Still, this distinction helps. A chatbot is mainly strong at talking, writing and explaining. An agent becomes especially interesting when it is allowed to work with tools and choose intermediate steps for itself.
| Feature | Chatbot (such as ordinary ChatGPT) | Automation (such as Zapier) | AI agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you give it | Question | Fixed rules | Goal |
| Who decides the steps | You | Pre-set | The agent |
| Can use tools | Usually not | Yes | Yes |
| Adapts to unexpected situations | No | No | Partly |
| Final check by you | Yes | Yes | Definitely still yes |
A normal chatbot is useful when you want text or an explanation quickly. Automation is useful when you want to follow the same fixed rule every time. An AI agent sits in between and on top of that: it can be given a goal and make choices along the way.
According to Searchlab, an AI agent differs from a normal chatbot because it proactively carries out several steps towards a goal, rather than only responding to input.
How does an AI agent work in practice?
An AI agent gets a goal, makes a plan, carries out a step, looks at the result and adjusts its plan. It repeats that until the task is done or until it needs your approval.
You can think of this as four stages: goal, plan, action and check. These stages make it less vague and easier to understand.
- Goal: you say what you want to achieve. For example: prepare draft replies for new requests.
- Plan: the agent works out which steps are needed. For example: read the inbox, check the calendar, fetch prices and write emails.
- Action: the agent uses tools that you have allowed. Think of email, calendar, browser or files.
- Check: the agent looks at whether the result is correct and asks for help or approval if in doubt.
Those tools work through links and permissions. Without access to your calendar, the agent cannot find free slots. Without access to a document with prices, it cannot use those prices properly.
That is where the most important choice for you comes in. Do not give more access than is needed. Let the agent read and suggest first, before it is allowed to send, delete or pay for anything.
What can an AI agent do for your work?
An AI agent is especially useful for recurring tasks with clear steps. Think of sorting email, planning appointments, searching and summarising information, or preparing a draft quote.
For many people, it starts small. For example, you let an agent look at new emails and make a list of what matters. Or you let it pull out the key points from several documents.
An agent can also help prepare work. It can draft text, organise tasks or prepare a first version of a reply. You then check whether names, amounts and arrangements are correct.
You can find a concrete product example in our article about an AI colleague that keeps working day and night. That article is about OpenAI Dots. This article explains the general concept.
Not every task is suitable. Vague instructions often go wrong. Jobs where a mistake costs money straight away are also not a good place to start.
Think of payments, final quotes or messages to customers with legal consequences. Do not let an agent finish those on its own. Use it first as a helper, not as the final decision maker.
- Suitable: creating draft emails based on clear information.
- Suitable: making a list of action points from messages.
- Suitable: suggesting free slots in your calendar.
- Less suitable: making payments on its own.
- Less suitable: making final arrangements without your check.
- Less suitable: processing sensitive customer data without clear agreements.
Is an AI agent safe, and what does the law say?
An AI agent can be safe enough if you limit what it can access and approve anything that cannot be undone. You should mainly pay attention to privacy, transparency and AI errors.
In the Netherlands and Belgium, the GDPR applies. That means you must handle personal data carefully, such as names, email addresses, customer files or quotes. Do not just put customer data into a tool without proper arrangements, such as a data processing agreement.
The European AI Act also plays a role. According to ICTRecht, the transparency obligations in article 50 have been in force since 2 August 2026, despite the Digital Omnibus. According to the same source, the European Commission published final guidance on those obligations on 20 July 2026.
One of those obligations concerns direct interaction with natural persons: people must know they are talking to AI. AG Connect also reports that this obligation in the AI Act has not been delayed from 2 August. This does not mean that all parts of the AI Act apply at the same time.
AI can also make mistakes. An agent may copy across the wrong amount, confuse a name or misread a date. We often call such errors AI hallucinations: AI then gives something that sounds convincing, but is not correct.
That is why final checking matters. Let the agent stop if it is unsure. Let it explain where it is uncertain. And always check amounts, names, dates and promises.
If you want to look more broadly at privacy and rights, read our article about using AI safely. That is especially helpful if you work with customer data.
How do you start using an AI agent without hassle?
Choose one task, give the agent read-only access, let it make a proposal first and approve it yourself. That way you learn what works without taking big risks straight away.
Do not start with your whole inbox, bookkeeping and customer files at the same time. Preferably choose one folder, one calendar or one document. Make the task specific.
- Choose a recurring task you do every week.
- Choose a low-risk task, such as creating drafts or organising information.
- Give access only to what is needed.
- Let the agent make a plan first.
- Do not let it send, delete or pay for anything without your approval.
- Check the result for names, amounts and dates.
- Only expand once it has worked well a few times.
A good prompt names the goal, the limits and the desired result. So do not just say: handle my email. Say which folder it may read, what it should deliver and what it must not do.
Modern agent tools usually work well in Dutch. Even so, availability in the EU and features can differ by subscription. So always check with the provider what your tool can actually do.
What is an AI agent compared with automation?
Automation follows fixed rules, such as if this happens, then do that. An agent chooses the steps itself in order to reach a goal.
What is an AI agent compared with fixed automation? The big difference is flexibility. Automation is strong when the process is always the same. An agent is useful when the situation is slightly different each time.
Imagine this: every time a form comes in, a row must be added to a spreadsheet. That is classic automation. For that, you can look at tools such as Zapier, Make or n8n.
But imagine that every request is different. One customer wants a photo shoot, another asks for prices and a third only mentions a date. Then an agent can help read the email, understand the intention and create a suitable draft reply.
That does not mean an agent is always better. Fixed rules are often more predictable. An agent is more flexible, but it can also make the wrong choices. So use fixed automation where you can, and an agent where extra understanding is needed.
Practical example: an AI agent for requests
Sanne is a freelance photographer in Utrecht and receives ten enquiries a week by email. Without an agent, she reads everything herself, finds a gap in her calendar and writes a reply each time.
With an agent feature in a tool she uses, such as Copilot or her own assistant, she can prepare the task better. The exact options differ by tool and by subscription. So Sanne must check with the provider what is possible and which permissions are needed.
Her prompt could look like this:
“Read the new requests in the Requests folder. For each request, find two free slots in my calendar for next week. Write a friendly draft reply in Dutch using my standard rates from the Rates document. Send nothing, save everything as a draft and give me a list of requests where you are unsure.”
The expected result is clear. Sanne gets ten draft emails and a list of two or three doubtful cases. She then reads everything, edits the text and sends it herself.
She checks the rates especially carefully. An agent can make a mistake or copy information incorrectly. She also checks whether the suggested times really work.
This example shows what a good role is for an agent. It prepares the work. Sanne remains the person who decides.
Common mistakes with AI agents
The biggest mistakes come from too much trust, too much access or too vague an instruction. You can avoid many problems by starting small and building in final checks from the start.
- Giving a vague instruction. Handle my email is too broad. Name the goal, the limits and the desired result, as in Sanne’s example.
- Letting the agent send or pay straight away. That is risky. Let it make drafts first and approve them yourself.
- Giving too much access. Start with read access to one folder or calendar. Only expand later if you know it works well.
- Blindly trusting the result. Check amounts, names and dates. AI makes mistakes and can suffer from AI hallucinations.
- Putting customer data into a tool without agreements. Look at privacy settings and a data processing agreement. Also read how to approach using AI safely in practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is an AI agent the same as ChatGPT?
No. ChatGPT is a chatbot you can use, while an agent carries out steps itself. Some products combine both, which makes the difference less visible.
Can an AI agent just buy things or send messages?
Only if you give it those rights. Keep sending, deleting and paying in your own hands, especially at the beginning.
Do I need an AI agent as a freelancer?
Not necessarily. Start with ordinary ChatGPT or Copilot and try an agent when you notice that you keep repeating the same task.
Do I have to say that I use an AI agent?
If people are communicating directly with AI, article 50 of the AI Act says that must be clear. If in doubt, ask for legal advice, because the exact situation can matter.
Does an AI agent work in Dutch?
Usually yes, but check the language and the result for each tool. Also check with the provider which functions are available in the EU and within your subscription.
Your next step is to pick one recurring task from your week, write the instruction using the prompt in this article and let the agent create only a draft. If you want to read further, see our article about OpenAI Dots or first learn how to work with automation with AI.
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