When we talk about artificial intelligence today, chatbots are often the first thing that comes to mind. Tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini, based on Large Language Models (LLM), have largely democratised AI among the general public. Their ability to produce coherent, relevant text responses is already impressive.
However, these models remain mainly reactive: they respond to queries, but do not really act on the digital world around them. Yet the range of possibilities offered by AI is expanding with the emergence of a new paradigm: AI agents.
These raise a central question: what is an AI agent, and what can it do for an SME or even for personal use?
A new revolution?
The term “AI agent” (or agentic AI) does not yet have a universally standardised definition. Nevertheless, a common vision seems to be emerging within the industry.
An AI agent can be described as an autonomous artificial intelligence system, capable of:
- making decisions,
- planning actions,
- and executing them
in order to achieve a given objective, with minimal or even no human supervision.
Unlike a simple chatbot, an AI agent can interact with external environments: software, APIs, web browsers or even an operating system. It is also distinguished by its capacities for reasoning, organisation and execution of complex tasks.
In theory, an AI agent is also capable of:
- learning from its mistakes,
- adapting to its context,
- and showing proactivity.
It is also possible to design multi-agent systems, in which several specialised agents collaborate to achieve a common goal. A key component of these systems is memory, which allows the agent to retain context, ensure consistency over time and “remember” past actions.
The underlying goal of AI agents remains clear: to automate repetitive, time-consuming or low value-added tasks.
For which use cases?
The technology is evolving rapidly and new uses are constantly emerging. To date, several concrete examples of agentic AI already exist, both as commercial solutions and as open-source projects. It is also possible, for more technical profiles, to create your own AI agent.
Devin – The developer agent
Devin is an agent specialised in software development. Presented by its creators as an “AI developer”, it stands out for a level of autonomy clearly superior to tools such as GitHub Copilot.
From a simple objective formulated by a human, Devin is able to:
- write code,
- debug,
- run tests,
- and solve technical problems autonomously.
Zapier Central – Workflow automation
Zapier Central is an agent designed to optimise and automate workflows. Its goal is to minimise repetitive tasks within companies as much as possible.
Thanks to its connections with more than 6,000 applications, Zapier makes it possible to streamline an organisation’s entire digital ecosystem, without requiring advanced programming skills.
Intercom Fin – Agentic customer support
Intercom Fin is an AI agent dedicated to customer support. Its main strength lies in its ability to train directly on a company’s internal documentation.
Unlike a classic chatbot, Fin can:
- understand complex requests,
- provide precise, contextualised answers,
- resolve technical problems autonomously.
This improves support quality while reducing the load on human teams.
OpenClaw – Open-source agents on your computer
Outside commercial solutions, there are also open source projects that make it possible to create agents capable of “taking control” of your computer.
OpenClaw is a striking example. This software makes it possible to create local AI agents capable, for example, of:
- booking travel tickets,
- filling in online forms,
- performing repetitive actions on graphical interfaces,
- or sending automatic replies.
This type of tool opens the way to very advanced automation, accessible even at an individual scale.
Conclusion
AI agents appear to represent a major evolution of artificial intelligence. While traditional AIs were mainly limited to text responses, agents go further: they act, plan and interact with third-party applications.
Whether turnkey paid solutions or open-source projects that let you create your own custom agents, use cases for agentic AI are multiplying. For SMEs and individuals alike, this technology could well become a central productivity lever in the years ahead.
