Agent
An agent is a system that uses a model to choose actions toward a goal, then responds to what happens. How much freedom it has depends on the application.
[Anthropic]In practice · hypothetical example
A support assistant looks up an order, checks its delivery status, then decides whether more information is needed.
[Anthropic]A little deeper
Here we use agent for a system with model-directed steps. Some authors also include more prescribed workflows under the same name. [Anthropic]
Similar terms, different emphasis
Compare Agent & Workflow →What makes this example agent-like?
Sources & editorial notes
Evidence: limited. Single perspective in this entry; additional independent evidence is needed.
- Building effective agents ↗ (opens in new tab)Anthropic · 2024-12-19
Relevant section: What are agents?; Building blocks; Agents; Appendix 2
Last editorial review: 2026-09-13 by project-owner.
First observed in this corpus: Unknown.
Revision history
Revision 2 · Created 2026-09-12 · Updated 2026-09-13
Project owner approved the current content for publication. Existing evidence scope and limitations remain applicable.