Let's be honest—"AI agent" is such an overloaded buzzword. When you hear it, you're probably thinking, ugh, not another one.
So in this guide, we're breaking it down—what an AI agent actually is, how it's different from a chatbot, how it works under the hood, and what it takes to put one into real-world use (without losing your mind).
Let's demystify the hype and get practical.
What Is an AI Agent?
An AI agent is software that can perceive its environment, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals. Unlike traditional chatbots that follow scripts, AI agents can:
- Understand context and intent
- Make decisions based on available information
- Take actions across multiple systems
- Learn and adapt over time
How AI Agents Differ from Chatbots
| Chatbots | AI Agents |
|----------|-----------|
| Follow scripted flows | Make dynamic decisions |
| Answer questions | Take actions |
| Limited to pre-defined paths | Can handle novel situations |
| Surface-level interactions | Deep system integrations |
Thinking about AI customer support agent?
Duckie doesn't just answer questions—it gets things done. It can take real actions like processing refunds, updating account settings, or checking logs to troubleshoot technical issues. It plugs into your existing tools and follows your workflows.
We work with 60+ support teams across fintech, dev tools, SaaS, and e-commerce to help them automate the repetitive stuff and speed up resolution.
Setup takes less than 5 minutes. We'll work closely with your team to tailor the agent to your workflows and make sure it fits your needs—simple as that.
Book a demo and meet your next support teammate.
