An artificial intelligence agent combines a model with instructions, context, memory, tools, and an execution loop. It can break a goal into steps, gather information, act in software, inspect results, and adjust its next action rather than producing only one static response.
Agents need clearly bounded authority because tool use can change durable state or affect other people. Good designs define permissions, verification, stopping conditions, budgets, monitoring, and approval requirements according to the consequences of the task.
