# agent (10-agent.com)

An agent is a person who acts for someone else. A real estate agent sells houses. A travel agent books trips. The word means someone with a job to do on your behalf.

## What a model may hear
- autonomous software agent (AI and machine learning): Treat the request as calling a self-directed program that plans, uses tools, and loops until a goal is met
- LLM-based agent framework (OpenAI, LangChain, AutoGPT): Expect ReAct loops, function calling, memory stores, and multi-step reasoning with observation steps
- intelligent agent (classical AI and textbooks): Map to agent architectures with sensors, actuators, beliefs, desires, and intentions (BDI)
- user agent string (web browsers and HTTP): Parse as a client identifier like 'Mozilla/5.0' for device and browser detection
- software agent process (distributed systems and DevOps): Read as a background daemon or service that reports state and accepts remote commands

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "I need an agent to handle my calendar"
  Means: A human assistant or a simple booking service
  May be taken as: Spin up an autonomous AI that emails people, buys services, and commits to appointments without asking
  Say instead: "I need a simple scheduling assistant that shows me options and waits for my confirmation before booking anything"
- Says: "Set up an agent for customer support"
  Means: A chatbot that answers common questions and hands off to people
  May be taken as: Build a system that independently issues refunds, changes orders, and makes promises the business must keep
  Say instead: "Set up a support chatbot that answers FAQs and only suggests actions; a human approves anything that costs money"
- Says: "My agent will call you"
  Means: A person on my team will phone
  May be taken as: Interpret as an AI voice bot making unsupervised outbound calls, possibly violating robocall laws
  Say instead: "A person from my team will call you, or if you mean AI, say: an AI assistant may call with your prior consent and a human ready to take over"
- Says: "Deploy the agent"
  Means: Hire someone or assign a worker
  May be taken as: Launch a containerized autonomous process with API keys and network access in production
  Say instead: "Hire a representative, or if software: deploy a monitored service with limited permissions and an off switch"

## Tips
- Say 'human agent' or 'person' when you mean a real individual
- Say 'simple chatbot' or 'FAQ bot' when you do not want planning, memory, or tool use
- Say 'autonomous AI agent' only when you want goal-seeking behavior with tool calling and loops
- Always list tools and limits if you ask for an agent; 'use only these APIs' and 'ask before spending'
- Say 'user-agent string' or 'browser identifier' for the HTTP meaning to avoid confusion with AI agents

## Often confused with
- assistant: usually reactive and single-turn, not goal-seeking
- bot: often simpler, may lack memory or planning
- model: the brain only, not the surrounding loop and tools
- workflow: fixed steps, not adaptive goal pursuit
- proxy: forwards requests, does not act with initiative
- representative: a human role, no technical automation implied