Direct answer
An AI agent is a system that can interpret a goal, use context, call tools and propose or take actions inside a defined workflow. In business settings, the agent should be scoped around a repeatable job rather than given open-ended autonomy.
What agents can do
A well-designed agent can triage requests, retrieve knowledge, check CRM context, draft responses, update records, prepare proposals, monitor workflow state and ask for approval before sensitive actions.
- Customer-support triage
- Internal knowledge workflows
- CRM research and updates
- Document processing
- Operational handoffs
When not to use an agent
If the process is simple, deterministic or high risk without reliable review, a conventional automation or rules-based system may be more appropriate.
Implementation controls
Agent projects should define model choice, tool permissions, retrieval boundaries, data retention, prompt-injection handling, cost monitoring, logging and escalation.