The Next Stage of Artificial Intelligence The biggest change in artificial intelligence may not be that AI can answer more questions. The deeper change is that AI is beginning to move from answering prompts to helping complete goals. For many people, the first wave of AI tools felt like a smarter kind of chatbot. You could ask a question, request an explanation, rewrite an email, summarize an article, or brainstorm ideas. But the AI landscape is now moving toward something more active. That next step is often called an AI agent, or agentic AI. What Is an AI Agent? An AI agent is a system designed to understand a goal, break that goal into steps, use tools when needed, and work toward a result. A chatbot usually responds to what the user asks. An AI agent tries to do more than respond. It can plan, compare, organize, check information, and sometimes take action across digital tools. For example, you might ask a chatbot: “Can you suggest a weekend trip to Boston?” The chatbot may ...