Agentic AI
What is the difference between an AI agent and a chatbot?
A chatbot responds to a prompt. An agent has tools, permissions, memory, and a defined role in a workflow. Give a chatbot a resume and it summarizes. Give an agent a requisition and it sources, scores, drafts outreach, and schedules.
Related questions
- What is agentic AI?
Agentic AI is software that takes multi-step actions toward a goal rather than producing a single response. An agent reads data from your systems, decides what to do next, takes the action, and reports back. The distinguishing feature is that it acts, not that it answers.
- What is the difference between automation and agentic AI?
Automation follows a fixed script and breaks when the input varies. An agent evaluates the situation and chooses among available tools. Automation is a rule. An agent is a decision.
- How long does it take to build a custom AI agent?
A scoped single-workflow agent with a human in the loop typically ships in 4 to 8 weeks after workflow mapping. Multi-system agents take longer, mostly due to integration and permissions rather than the AI itself.
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Last updated: August 2026