Definition
An AI agent is software built on a language model that pursues a goal by planning steps, calling tools and business systems (such as a CRM, booking engine or messaging API) and using the results, rather than only generating a reply.
Where a chatbot answers, an agent acts. Given a request like "reschedule my delivery to Sunday", an agent can look up the order, check slots, update the booking and confirm to the customer. It decides which tools to call and in what order, within the limits it has been given.
Important building blocks are tool definitions (often exposed through protocols such as MCP), memory of past interactions, access controls that limit what each agent may do, and orchestration when several specialised agents work together.
Agents need stronger safeguards than simple bots: confirm before irreversible actions, log every tool call, restrict access to personal data, and route uncertain or sensitive cases to a person. Start with narrow, high-volume tasks where success is easy to measure.
In customer messaging, agents are deployed on WhatsApp, web chat and voice, and must respect each channel's rules, such as WhatsApp templates and messaging windows.
OmniChannels.ai provides AI agents through BroadNet AI, with persistent memory, tool use (MCP), multi-agent orchestration and deployment as SaaS, private cloud or on-premise.