What is an AI agent and how is it different from a chatbot?

A chatbot responds to user inputs in a conversational interface — reactive and single-turn or limited multi-turn. An AI agent is autonomous and proactive — given a goal, it reasons about the steps needed, uses tools (web search, APIs, databases), executes multi-step workflows, and adapts based on results. AI agents can complete tasks that would require many chatbot interactions or human work.

AI & Machine Learning

Best AI Agents Software 2026

Compare AI agent platforms for sales and customer support — autonomous AI agents that take action on behalf of users.

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What is AI Agents?

AI agent platforms deploy autonomous AI agents that can reason, plan, and take actions — browsing the web, querying databases, sending emails, and calling APIs — to complete multi-step tasks without human intervention. Sales agents can automatically research prospects, draft outreach, and schedule demos. Support agents handle Tier-1 issues end-to-end.

Who needs this?

Deploying AI agents to automate prospect research and outreach
Using AI agents to handle routine customer support requests 24/7

Subcategories

AI Sales Agent AI Customer Support Agent

AI Agents Products

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q.What is an AI agent and how is it different from a chatbot?: A chatbot responds to user inputs in a conversational interface — reactive and single-turn or limited multi-turn. An AI agent is autonomous and proactive — given a goal, it reasons about the steps needed, uses tools (web search, APIs, databases), executes multi-step workflows, and adapts based on results. AI agents can complete tasks that would require many chatbot interactions or human work.