# Source: https://docs.agent.ai/ai-agents-explained.md

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.agent.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AI Agents Explained

> Understanding the basics of AI agents for beginners

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# **What Is an AI Agent?**

An AI agent is essentially a digital worker that helps you achieve specific objectives. Think of it as a virtual assistant that can take on tasks with varying levels of independence. Unlike basic AI tools that simply respond to prompts, agents can work toward goals by taking multiple steps and making decisions along the way.

When you work with an AI agent:

* You define a goal for the agent to accomplish
* The agent selects appropriate actions to meet that goal
* It interacts with its environment and adapts to changes
* It collects and processes necessary data
* It executes tasks to achieve the defined goal

# **How AI Agents Work: A Real Example**

Let's say you create an AI sales development representative (SDR) agent with the goal of generating leads. Here's how it would work:

1. You define the objective: "Generate 20 qualified leads this month"
2. The agent selects necessary tasks:
3. Find potential leads from various sources
   * Research information about those leads
   * Generate personalized outreach messages
   * Send initial emails
   * Monitor for responses
   * Send follow-up emails when needed
4. The agent gathers and processes information about the leads
5. It executes each task in sequence
6. It works toward achieving your defined goal

# **Understanding Levels of AI Agent Autonomy**

It's important to understand that AI agents exist on a spectrum of autonomy. Current technology isn't yet at the point where you can simply define a goal and let the agent handle everything independently. Here's how to think about the different levels:

## **Level 0: No Autonomy**

* Acts purely as a tool with no initiative
* Similar to traditional machine learning algorithms
* Only does exactly what it was programmed to do

## **Level 1: Assistive Autonomy**

* Handles simple tasks with direct instruction
* Similar to how ChatGPT works - you provide a prompt, it responds
* Each interaction requires specific direction

## **Level 2: Partial Autonomy**

* Manages multi-step tasks
* Requires human oversight and intervention
* This is where most current agent platforms like [Agent.ai](http://Agent.ai) operate

## **Level 3: High Autonomy**

* Achieves complex tasks with minimal human input
* Requires occasional guidance

## **Level 4: Full Autonomy**

* Handles all aspects of tasks independently
* You simply define the goal and the agent figures out everything else

# [******What Is Agent.ai?******](http://Agent.ai)

[Agent.ai](http://Agent.ai) is a low-code/no-code platform that allows you to build AI agents without programming knowledge. While developers have access to tools like LangChain or [Crew.ai](http://Crew.ai) that require coding, [Agent.ai](http://Agent.ai) gives business stakeholders the ability to configure their own agents through a user-friendly interface.

With [Agent.ai](http://Agent.ai), you can:

* Create custom AI agents tailored to your specific needs
* Configure multi-step workflows
* Define how your agent should interact with various systems
* Set up decision-making parameters
* Deploy agents that can help achieve your business goals

## **Getting Started**

To begin using [Agent.ai](http://Agent.ai), you'll need to:

1. Clearly define the goal you want your agent to accomplish
2. Break down the steps required to achieve that goal
3. Configure your agent using the [Agent.ai](http://Agent.ai) platform
4. Test your agent's performance
5. Refine and improve as needed

In the current state of AI agent technology, you'll still need to provide some oversight and guidance, but the platform handles much of the complexity for you.

Have questions or need help? Reach out to our [support team](https://agent.ai/feedback) or [community](https://community.agent.ai/feed).