Glossary · Building
noun/ay·jənt/
An AI system that works towards a goal over several steps, deciding which tools to use and what to do next, rather than answering a single question. Good business agents run within clear limits and hand decisions back to a person.
In practice
For most businesses, an agent is a process Claude can carry through several steps on its own: read a new enquiry, check the CRM, draft a reply and log it, then stop for a person to approve. The value comes from chaining routine steps together. The risk comes from giving it too much freedom. Good agents have a narrow job, access only to the systems that job needs, and a clear point where a person signs off.
Custom tools and agentsA chatbot answers one message at a time. An agent works towards a goal over several steps, choosing which tools to use and what to do next. In a business setting, an agent might triage an inbox and draft replies, while a chatbot would only answer the question in front of it.
From AI curious to AI capable
Start with an audit. You will know exactly where AI fits, what to do first and what it should give back. Your report looks something like this.
Prepared for
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What Claude can really do
Contents
Every opportunity mapped, scored and turned into a costed Claude roadmap.