A chatbot usually answers a question within a predefined flow. An AI agent works toward a goal: it receives context, chooses an action, uses available tools, and checks the result.
Conversation versus action
When a user only needs to find a price or check an order status, a chatbot may be the right solution. An agent becomes useful when a task has several steps: collect data, verify conditions, create a system record, and prepare the next action.
Autonomy needs boundaries
The higher the cost of an error, the fewer actions should run without approval. Permissions, audit logs, limits, and human handoff are not optional extras — they are the foundation of a production-grade solution.
The main criterion
Evaluate an agent by completed tasks, outcome quality, and the time it gives back to the team — not by how natural the conversation sounds.