What is an AI agent?
An AI agent is software that uses a language model to carry out a task by itself. You set a goal, the agent decides which steps are needed, uses tools such as your mailbox or CRM and keeps going until the task is done.
Anthropic, the maker of Claude, describes agents as systems where the language model directs its own process and tool usage. In a fixed workflow a programmer has defined every step in advance. An agent chooses the steps per situation.
For your business an AI agent is a digital worker with a fixed job. It answers customer questions via WhatsApp, for example, also when you are away from your screen.
How does an AI agent work?
An AI agent works in a loop: it reads the instruction, chooses an action, carries it out, looks at the result and decides what the next step is. The loop repeats until the goal is reached or the agent asks a human for help.
An agent has four parts.
1. The language model The language model is the thinking part. It reads the instruction and decides what needs to happen. It can be a model from Anthropic or OpenAI, or an open model you run yourself.
2. The tools Tools are the integrations with your systems, such as email, calendar, CRM and accounting software. With only a language model the agent writes text. With tools it looks something up, creates something or sends a message.
3. Knowledge and memory The agent works with instructions and business knowledge that you write down once: your tone of voice, your way of working, your products. That saves you from explaining the context again with every instruction.
4. The channels You reach the agent through a channel you already use, such as WhatsApp, Slack, Telegram or your website. Every channel talks to the same agent.
At AI Agent B.V. each agent runs in its own environment on the customer's infrastructure.
What is the difference between an AI agent, a chatbot and a copilot?
A chatbot answers questions, a copilot makes suggestions inside the software you work in and an AI agent carries out the task itself.
A chatbot responds to a message and stops at the answer. A copilot, such as Microsoft 365 Copilot or GitHub Copilot, looks along in your document or code and lets you decide. An AI agent gets a goal and handles it, with human approval at the moments you define.
| Property | Chatbot | Copilot | AI agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| What does it deliver? | An answer | A proposal | A completed task |
| Several steps in a row | No | Limited | Yes |
| Uses other systems | Rarely | Within its own program | Yes, through integrations |
| Knows your business context | Only the knowledge base | The open document | Defined during setup |
| Keeps working when you are offline | Yes, for questions | No | Yes |
The detailed comparison is in AI agent vs chatbot. Mostly using ChatGPT today? Then read AI agent vs ChatGPT.
What can an AI agent do for your business?
An AI agent takes over recurring work that consists of several steps. What it does exactly depends on the instructions and integrations you give it.
Customer service The agent answers customer questions via WhatsApp, Telegram or your website, also outside office hours. It handles frequently asked questions right away. It hands complex questions to your team, with a summary of the conversation.
Content and marketing The agent writes blog posts, social media posts, newsletters and product descriptions in your tone of voice. You give a briefing and review the draft.
Administration and planning The agent summarises meetings, tracks action items, drafts emails and produces reports.
Analysis and research The agent analyses sales data, summarises market research and compares competitors in a report.
Knowledge management The agent maintains your internal knowledge base. Employees ask a question and get the answer from your own documents. It flags outdated information.
What does an AI agent look like per industry?
The job of an AI agent differs per industry. These examples show how an agent can be set up.
Accounting firm An agent that processes invoices, reminds clients of VAT deadlines via WhatsApp and answers standard questions about the annual accounts.
Law firm An agent that summarises documents, informs clients about the status of their case and answers standard questions about how the firm works.
Real estate agency An agent that writes property descriptions, follows up leads via WhatsApp and answers questions about available properties.
E-commerce An agent that writes product descriptions, handles questions about orders and starts the returns process.
Consultancy An agent that carries out research, writes draft reports and makes internal knowledge searchable for the whole team.
What are the limitations of an AI agent?
An AI agent makes mistakes, just like the language model it runs on. Because an agent acts by itself, you build in checks before you let it work.
- Give the agent access only to the systems it needs for its task.
- Have a human approve actions with consequences, such as payments or sending quotes.
- Test the agent with real examples from your own work before customers talk to it.
- Record which personal data the agent processes and where it is stored, so that you comply with the GDPR.
What does an AI agent cost?
At AI Agent B.V. the implementation of an AI agent starts from €1,495 one-time, on invoice (as of October 2026). Custom software around the agent, such as an integration with your own systems, starts from €1,950 one-time.
The price of a project depends on the configuration and the integrations you need. A breakdown is in the AI agent pricing guide.
How do you get started with an AI agent?
You start with one task that comes back often and whose steps you can write out. A narrow task that works well delivers more than an agent that does everything halfway.
- Choose a task you do several times every week.
- Write out the steps and note which systems you open along the way.
- Decide at which moments you want to review the work.
- Test with real examples and adjust the instructions.
The whole process is described in having your first AI agent built.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI agent in simple terms? An AI agent is software that carries out a task for you. You set a goal, the agent chooses the steps itself, uses your systems and reports the result. Compare it to an employee you onboard once.
Do I need technical knowledge for an AI agent? Using an agent takes no technical knowledge: you send it a message via WhatsApp or another channel. Building one takes knowledge of instructions and integrations. You learn that in a training, or you have the agent implemented.
Can an AI agent make mistakes? Yes. An AI agent runs on a language model and language models make mistakes. Build in a human check for actions with consequences, such as payments and messages to customers.
Is my data safe with an AI agent? That depends on where the agent runs and which language model it uses. The agents AI Agent B.V. implements run on the customer's infrastructure. You decide where the data is stored and who has access.
What does an AI agent cost? At AI Agent B.V. the implementation of an AI agent starts from €1,495 one-time and custom software from €1,950 one-time, on invoice (as of October 2026).
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.
