ChatGPT and many of the other current foundation models are great. They can answer innumerable questions, create AI art that rivals human masterpieces, analyze photos, and in some cases, they even show what we would call intelligence.

But there’s one simple challenge they’ve yet to conquer — to efficiently complete a laborious task made up of distinct steps.

Currently, AI models are like eager office interns, tireless and enthusiastic but desperately in need of guidance. They require monitoring, frequent directions, and vigilance against fudging or half-truths (aka “hallucinations”).

This is where AI agents step in. Agent AIs can do this autonomously. These autonomous helpers take user input, break it down into smaller tasks with the assistance of LLMs, and tackle them one at a time. The agents store the results and use them, if necessary, for subsequent steps in the process. As a result, AI Agents can handle complex tasks and access various foundation models that are not limited to language alone. For example, an agent might independently decide to utilize code, video or voice models; employ search engines or calculation tools to accomplish the task you’ve given it.