AI Agents: What Are They and How Do They Work?

With the development of artificial intelligence, AI has been implemented for different purposes, including AI agents. They can learn and perform several tasks autonomously, improving productivity and efficiency and enabling you to offer customer service 24/7. 

What Are AI Agents?#

AI agents are a system or a program powered by artificial intelligence that can perform tasks independently. They have multiple abilities, such as natural language processing, problem-solving, and decision-making. 

They can interact with their environment, collect data, and use it to complete actions according to their goals.  For example, you can use AI agents for customer support. The AI agent will talk with the customer to understand their issue, look for the best solution, and help the customer solve their demand. 

How Do AI Agents Work?#

AI agents work through 4 basic steps:

Define Goal#

In the first step, the AI agent is given a goal, which is decided by humans. It will understand the goal, and plan, and break it into smaller actionable tasks. 

Data Collection#

The AI agent collects data from its environment to find the best solution to achieve its goal and define how to do it with the tools available. They can use the company databases, customer previous interactions, transaction histories, and much more to acquire the needed information. It's also possible to gather data from other AI agents and machine learning models. 

Decision-Making#

After the AI Agent has enough information to move on, it will analyze the data to plan which tasks must be completed to reach the main goal. The AI Agent can learn from previous tasks, and it will use its experience to find the best solution. 

Action Execution#

The final step is to put the plan into action. As AI agents can make decisions by themselves, they can propose a plan and execute it autonomously. You can create an evaluating system where you and your team will evaluate if the task was completed successfully. This is useful to avoid the mistakes being repeated.

Types of AI Agents#

Simple Reflex Agents#

Simple reflex agents don't hold memory, and they act based on reflexes or rules. They are previously programmed to respond to some situations, and if the agent encounters something different, it won't be able to complete the task correctly. Therefore, they are more suitable to perform simple actions.

Model-Based Reflex Agents#

The Model-based reflex agents can retain memory. Therefore, they use previous information and current situations to analyze a problem and solve it. They can evaluate probable results and consequences before making a decision, but they are still limited to a set of rules.

Utility-Based Reflex Agents#

Utility-based agents use a reasoning algorithm to analyze and define the sequence of actions that will reach their goal as efficiently as possible. They can analyze multiple scenarios and choose the optimal approach.

Goal-Based Agents#

As the name suggests, goal-based agents act according to the goal or set of goals that were defined for them. They will analyze and compare possible outcomes, choose the best path, and plan and execute the necessary actions. This type of AI agent has strong reasoning capabilities and can deal with complex scenarios.

Learning Agents#

Learning agents can learn continuously from previous experiences, adding the knowledge to their database. Therefore, they become more skilled in dealing with new environments, can adapt to different elements, and will train themselves based on collected feedback and past results. 

Hierarchical Agents#

Hierarchical agents are organized on levels of hierarchy. The higher-level agents divide tasks into smaller ones and assign them to lower-level agents. The agents can act autonomously, but they need to report to a supervisory agent. The agents at the higher level are responsible for coordinating the work and ensuring the goal is met. 

Benefits of Using AI Agents#

Automate Tasks#

You can delegate different types of tasks for AI agents, so your team won't have to worry about them, improving productivity. Your team can focus on complex challenges instead of spending time completing tasks that  AI agents can easily solve. 

Enhance Performance#

AI agents that can learn as they perform tasks will analyze and improve their actions based on feedback and outcomes. Therefore, they can generate better results every time you set a goal for them. 

24/7 Availability#

AI agents can be available 24/7, which is a great asset for customer support. Your customers can count on AI agents to help solve their issues whenever they require their assistance, which enhances customer satisfaction. 

Data-Driven Insights#

AI agents collect data and make decisions based on the analysis of the information they have. This way, they will consider valuable metrics, such as customer interactions, preferences, and behaviors, which enables them to provide insight that wouldn't be noticed otherwise. 

Escalability#

You can scale the number of tasks each AI agent is responsible for according to the number of demands. For example, they can assist a higher number of customer inquiries without compromising the support quality. 

Enjoy AI Agents' Habilities#

Now that you have learned what AI agents do and how they work, what about implementing them into your business? Artificial intelligence is a growing field, and you can enjoy its multiple applications to achieve what you have envisioned.