What can an AI agent do for you?
An AI agent can carry out tasks in which it reads information, makes a judgement and prepares or performs an action in your systems. Think of answering an email, preparing a proposal or sending an overview every morning.
An AI agent is software that combines a language model with access to your data and with the ability to carry out steps one after another. The explanation is in what is an AI agent. Below are ten tasks, each with what the agent does, what it needs and where you check.
1. Answering emails
The agent reads an incoming email, looks up the relevant information and writes a draft reply in your tone. For that it needs access to the mailbox and to your terms and product information.
Let the agent start with drafts in your drafts folder. You read, adjust and send. For fixed replies, such as a confirmation of receipt, you can allow independent sending later.
2. Summarising meetings
The agent turns your notes or a transcript into a summary with decisions, action items per person and a draft follow-up email. It only needs the text of the meeting.
You check whether the decisions are right and whether the action items sit with the right person. If you record conversations, ask the participants for permission beforehand.
3. Creating social media posts
The agent turns an article, a news item or a customer question into several social media posts. It needs the source material and a few examples of posts in your tone.
You read every post before it goes online. A language model can add a detail that was not in your source material.
4. Preparing proposals and quotes
The agent prepares a first version of a proposal based on a request. It needs the customer details, your price list and an example of an earlier proposal.
You check prices, discounts and commitments yourself. The proposal only goes to the customer after you have read it.
5. Handling customer questions
The agent answers recurring customer questions in the channel where they arrive, such as your website or a messaging app. It needs a list of frequent questions with your answers, plus current information about delivery and terms.
Define which questions the agent hands over to a colleague. Complaints, refunds and anything the agent cannot find in its information go to a person, with a short summary of the conversation. More on this is in the article about an AI agent for customer service.
6. Doing research
The agent looks up information on a defined question, for example which providers in your market offer a certain service, and puts the findings in an overview. It needs access to the web or to your own documents.
Ask the agent to name the source for every claim and open those sources yourself. Do not base a decision on an overview without sources.
7. Analysing figures
The agent reads a spreadsheet or export, points out rises and falls and answers your questions about the figures. It needs an export with clear column names.
Recalculate the outcomes you steer on in your own file. Remove personal data from the export if the agent does not need it for the analysis.
8. Writing articles
The agent writes a first version of an article based on a topic, a target audience and your own knowledge or notes. That input of your own determines whether the article adds anything.
You do the final edit and check every fact, every figure and every name. Only publish an article when you stand behind every sentence.
9. Helping new colleagues find their way
The agent answers questions from new colleagues based on your work instructions and manuals and points to the document that contains the answer. It needs current documents in one place.
Appoint someone who keeps the documents up to date. Questions about employment terms and personal situations belong with a manager.
10. Compiling a daily briefing
Every morning the agent compiles an overview of your appointments, open tasks and deadlines and sends it to the channel of your choice. It needs read access to your calendar and your task list.
In the first weeks, check now and then whether the overview is complete. Read access is enough for this task, so do not give the agent rights to change appointments.
Which tasks should you not give to an AI agent?
Do not give an AI agent tasks where a mistake has major consequences and nobody is watching. Examples are making payments, signing contracts and deciding about staff.
For these tasks the agent can do the preparation. The decision and the final action stay with a person. The same goes for legal and medical advice.
What is the difference with an AI assistant?
An AI assistant such as ChatGPT or Claude carries out a task when you type an instruction. An AI agent is set up to start a task itself, for example when an email arrives or at a fixed time.
You can also do most of the tasks above with an AI assistant if you supply the data yourself. An agent becomes worthwhile when the task returns daily. The comparison is in AI agent vs ChatGPT.
How do you start with an AI agent?
You start with one task that returns often and for which your data is already in order. Write down which steps you take now, which information you use and when you call in a colleague.
Then let the agent produce drafts for a few weeks that you check. Only when the drafts are almost always right do you give the agent more independence. The full approach is in the step-by-step plan to implement an AI agent.
Frequently asked questions
Which tasks can an AI agent take over? An AI agent can carry out recurring tasks in which it reads information and prepares a reply or document, such as answering emails, summarising meetings, preparing proposals and handling customer questions. A person checks the result.
Can an AI agent send emails on its own? Technically it can if the agent has write access to the mailbox. Start with drafts that you read and send. Only allow independent sending for fixed replies where a mistake does little damage.
What does an AI agent need to carry out a task? An AI agent needs a clear instruction, access to the data for that task and agreements on when it calls in a person. Only give the agent the rights it needs for the task.
What does an AI agent cost? At AI Agent B.V. an AI agent implementation starts from €1,495 one-off, on invoice. A full cost breakdown is in the AI agent pricing guide.
Can I do these tasks myself with ChatGPT or Claude? Yes, you can do most of these tasks with an AI assistant if you give the instruction and supply the data yourself. An AI agent adds that the task starts by itself and that the AI can work in your systems.
Deploying an AI agent yourself?
Browse our ready-to-go AI agents or have a custom agent built on your own infrastructure. Want to know the cost first? Read the AI agent pricing guide or book a free intro call.
