03Automator10 min
Sort a shared inbox automatically, with a person checking
Label, route and draft, but keep a person on anything unusual.
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Start lessonUnderstand · Agents & automation
Agents & automation
What is an AI agent, really?
An AI that takes actions toward a goal, not just one that answers questions.
6 min readPlain English
Read it in
In one sentence
An AI agent is an AI system that can take actions toward a goal, not just answer questions.
Think of it like…
A chatbot is a knowledgeable colleague you ask questions. An agent is a new hire you hand a task to: useful, but you check their work until they’ve earned your trust.
How it works
An agent runs a loop: it takes your goal, plans steps, uses tools (email, a browser, a spreadsheet), checks the result, and repeats until it’s done or stuck. The loop is what makes it useful, and what makes it risky.
- 1GoalYou hand it a job with a clear finish line, like “file this week’s supplier invoices.”
- 2PlanIt breaks the job into steps: find the emails, open the attachments, pull out the details.
- 3Act with toolsIt uses the tools you’ve connected, such as your inbox, a browser or a spreadsheet, and only those.
- 4CheckIt looks at the result. Did the file save? Does the total match? If not, it tries another way.
- 5ReportIt tells you what it did, what it couldn’t do and what needs your approval.
Repeats until done, or until it needs you. Good agents ask before anything irreversible.
Good at, bad at
Good at
- Multi-step tasks with a clear finish line
- Working across a few tools you connect
- Tireless triage and first drafts
Bad at
- Vague goals (“grow the business”)
- Anything irreversible without approval
- Noticing when it is confidently wrong
Where you’ll see it at work
Inbox assistants. Sort, draft and schedule, asking before they send.
Booking assistants. Take routine bookings on your site or phone, then hand off.
Research assistants. Browse, compare and summarize, with links you can check.
Myth vs reality
Myth: Agents replace employees.
Reality: They take over well-defined steps inside a process a person still owns.
Words to know
Test yourselfNo grades
Which of these is an agent?
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