Explained simply
So what is an AI agent, really?
An agent is a kind of digital person. It can do anything you or your staff would do on a computer, and a lot more.
It answers emails, finds appointments and writes invoices. It works day and night and never calls in sick. Anything that goes out or costs money, you approve first. In its head is a language model, like ChatGPT. Further down, Emma, our agent, shows you what that looks like in everyday work.
What it does for you
A few everyday examples. Tap a tile to see more.
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It reads new inquiries and drafts the reply. Once you say yes, it goes out.
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It looks at your calendar and suggests times that work.
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It puts the line items together and hands you the finished invoice.
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It takes calls when your hands are full. Afterwards you know what the call was about.
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Prices, customer details, past jobs: it finds them in seconds.
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It keeps track of deadlines, callbacks and unpaid invoices. And tells you in good time.
The room
This is what an agent’s workplace looks like. Hover over any part of the picture. On your phone, tap it. The buttons below the picture play an example, and Emma tells you what she is doing.
- Cyan: what the agent brings along
- Violet: what you give it
- Red: what it won’t touch without your yes
Pick an example. Emma tells you what she is doing.
Memory
All made up. This is what it looks like when an agent knows your business.
Emma tells you what she is doing
An email to a customer — Job comes in, check the memory, write a draft, show it to you, and only then send it.
- You tell me: please reply to Ms. Sommer’s inquiry.
- I read along and think about what I need for it.
- I reach into the shelf. That’s where your last conversation with her is.
- A quick look.
- And back on the shelf it goes.
- At the table I use my email tool to write a draft.
- I hold it out to you before anything goes anywhere.
- You say: looks good.
- Only now does the email go out through the door to Ms. Sommer.
A payment she is not allowed to make — She prepares everything and stops at the red door. You do the approving.
- You tell me: the supplier’s invoice is due.
- I check what I need for that.
- My memory has the rule: never make payments on my own.
- At the table I put the bank transfer together.
- I take it to the bank door. It stays shut, and that’s how it should be.
- I put the finished transfer in front of you.
- You approve it. Or you don’t.
She brings in a colleague — A question that belongs somewhere else. Two agents talk to each other, and you get a heads-up.
- A customer question comes in through the email door.
- I see right away: this is an accounting question.
- My memory tells me who handles that.
- Over the channel I ask my colleague in the room next door.
- He answers with what’s in his memory.
- From that, I write the reply to the customer at the table.
- It goes out through the email door.
- And you get a short note: done.
Brain — the language model
It understands what you want and plans the next step. At the start it knows nothing about your business.
Memory — what it remembers
This is where everything it knows about your business lives. It forgets nothing, even weeks later.
Tools — what it can do
This is how it gets work done: writing emails, finding appointments, preparing invoices. At first, all of this happens only inside its own room.
Access — doors to the outside
A door leads to your inbox, your calendar or your bank account. You unlock each door separately.
Identity — who is doing the work
It has a name, a face and a voice. That way your customers recognize it.
Job and rules — the frame around everything
This says what it should do and what it must never do. And when it checks with you first.
You — outside the room
You give the job and say yes or no. Anything that goes out or costs money, you see first.
A second agent — next door
Agents ask each other for help. They use their own line for that and never go through your doors.
Your customer — outside
She gets an email from your address, signed with your name. Whatever reaches her, you approved.
Search the web — tool
- Can
- Read pages, sum up what matters and say where it came from.
- Draws from memory
- What you are looking for, which sources you trust, what it already found last week.
- Typical job
- “Find out which supplier has the cheapest oak right now.”
Calendar — tool
- Can
- Find, add and move appointments.
- Draws from memory
- Your working hours, how long that kind of appointment takes, who needs to be there.
- Typical job
- “Find two hours next week for the workshop appointment.”
Email — tool
- Can
- Read the inbox, draft replies, send them once you say yes.
- Draws from memory
- Who the customer is, what you last talked about, how you sign off.
- Typical job
- “Answer yesterday’s inquiry and show me the draft.”
Invoice — tool
- Can
- Put the line items together and save the invoice as a draft. It only goes out after your yes.
- Draws from memory
- Your prices, your payment terms, which customer gets which conditions.
- Typical job
- “Prepare the invoice for Tuesday’s job.”
Customer records — tool
- Can
- Look things up, count, add and edit entries.
- Draws from memory
- Where everything is and which entries it must not touch.
- Typical job
- “How many open jobs does Meier Carpentry still have?”
What it is made of
An agent has six parts, nothing more. Each part comes with an everyday example.
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Brain
the language model
It understands what you want and plans the next step. At the start it knows nothing about your business.
See an example
You write: “Ms. Sommer wants an appointment.” The brain gets it: check the calendar, then reply.
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Memory
what it remembers
This is where everything it knows about your business lives. It forgets nothing, even weeks later.
See an example
It still knows that Ms. Sommer likes short emails and always pays on time.
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Tools
what it can do
This is how it gets work done: writing emails, finding appointments, preparing invoices. At first, all of this happens only inside its own room.
See an example
It writes the invoice for Tuesday’s job and puts it in front of you, ready to go.
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Access
doors to the outside
A door leads to your inbox, your calendar or your bank account. You unlock each door separately.
See an example
It may open the calendar. The door to the bank account stays shut.
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Identity
who is doing the work
It has a name, a face and a voice. That way your customers recognize it.
See an example
On the phone it’s always Emma who answers, with the same friendly voice.
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Job and rules
the frame around everything
This says what it should do and what it must never do. And when it checks with you first.
See an example
It sends nothing on weekends. It only quotes prices after checking with you.
The tools
A tool on its own does little. Combined with memory, it turns into good work.
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Search the web
- Can
- Read pages, sum up what matters and say where it came from.
- Knows for this
- What you are looking for, which sources you trust, what it already found last week.
- How you’d ask
- “Find out which supplier has the cheapest oak right now.”
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Calendar
- Can
- Find, add and move appointments.
- Knows for this
- Your working hours, how long that kind of appointment takes, who needs to be there.
- How you’d ask
- “Find two hours next week for the workshop appointment.”
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Email
- Can
- Read the inbox, draft replies, send them once you say yes.
- Knows for this
- Who the customer is, what you last talked about, how you sign off.
- How you’d ask
- “Answer yesterday’s inquiry and show me the draft.”
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Invoice
- Can
- Put the line items together and save the invoice as a draft. It only goes out after your yes.
- Knows for this
- Your prices, your payment terms, which customer gets which conditions.
- How you’d ask
- “Prepare the invoice for Tuesday’s job.”
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Customer records
- Can
- Look things up, count, add and edit entries.
- Knows for this
- Where everything is and which entries it must not touch.
- How you’d ask
- “How many open jobs does Meier Carpentry still have?”
- Green: does it without asking
- Yellow: checks with you first
- Red: prepares it, you send it off
- Check calendar
- Send payment reminder
- Start a payment
- Read inbox
- Create appointment
- Look up customer details
- Sign a contract
- Write a quote
- Check stock
- Read login details
- Review a letter
- Close an inquiry
- Look up a price
- Place an order
- Summarize minutes
- Schedule a callback
- Watch a deadline
- Grant permissions
- Analyze revenue
- Write a delivery note
- Check the weather
- Collect a direct debit
- Move an appointment
- Read a document
- Change a password
- Email a customer
- Check incoming payments
- Publish the website
- Add a contact
- Plan a route
- Change a price for good
- Answer a chat
- Verify an address
- Delete data permanently
- Send a newsletter
- Calculate a KPI
- Give notice
- Create an image
- Check public holidays
- Export customer data
- Create a job
- Check the backup
- Commit to a quote
- Add a customer note
- Summarize a call
- Plan a shift
- Create a digital key
- Transcribe a voice message
- Log an inquiry
- Edit a personnel file
- Read out a form
- Rename a file
- Approve a transfer
- Fill in a spreadsheet
- Tidy up a folder
- Change supplier bank details
- Write a report
- Publish an Instagram post
- Renew a security key
- Assess an inquiry
- Change contact details
- Restart a company computer
- Translate a text
- Delete a record
- Proofread a text
- Prepare an order
This is just a sample. You decide which task gets which color. The agent can only make a suggestion.
It works inside. It only goes outside with your yes
This is where most worries come from. It’s actually simple. A tool is used inside. Access is a door to the outside. Inside, it can do almost anything. Outside, only what you allow.
Try it: tap a door.
All doors are closed. The agent works only inside and lays everything out for you.
An email is written inside
It writes the email inside its own room: the right greeting, the right topic, your tone. Up to this point, nobody outside notices a thing.
It only goes out through the door to the inbox. You can give it that door or not.
A payment stays inside
It may prepare it completely: the amount from the invoice, the account from the records, the date from memory. The transfer is ready to go.
The door to the bank still stays shut. Only you open it. That is why you can let it work without worrying.
Agents talk to each other
One agent for everything ends up doing nothing well. Several agents work better, each with its own job. They talk over their own line and never through your doors.
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It brings someone in
A question about an invoice lands with the customer agent. It asks its colleague from the office and answers with what that colleague knows.
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It hands over to you
Some things are better handled by you. Then it passes them on with everything it already knows, so you don’t start from zero.
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It reaches out on its own
When something gets stuck, it doesn’t wait. You get a short message: I can’t go any further here, this is what I need from you.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI agent?
A kind of digital person that works for you on the computer. It understands tasks, remembers your business and gets the work done. Anything that goes out or costs money, you approve first.
What is the difference between a chatbot and an agent?
A chatbot gives you an answer, and then you carry on with it yourself. An agent takes the next step: it finds the appointment, writes the email, creates the invoice.
Why does an agent need a memory?
Without a memory, every conversation starts from zero. With one, it knows your customers, your prices and your rules. That knowledge comes from you, not from the internet.
What are tools and access?
A tool is something it can do, like writing an email or preparing an invoice. Access is a door to the outside, for example to your inbox. Inside, it can do a lot. Outside, only what you allow.
Can an agent transfer money?
It can prepare a transfer, but it cannot send it. Payments, contracts and passwords are only ever laid out for you, ready to go. That limit is built in.
How does the agent know what it is allowed to do?
From its rules. Some things it does without asking. Some things it checks with you first. Some things it only prepares. You decide what goes where.
Can several agents work together?
Yes. They talk to each other over their own line and never through your doors. If a question belongs somewhere else, one brings in the other. To you it looks like a team.
Does the agent get to know my business on its own?
No. At the start it knows nothing about your business. Everything in its memory comes from you, from conversations and from your documents. That is why it is much better after a few weeks than on day one.
And for your business?
Which work costs you hours every week? That is exactly where an agent pays off. We figure it out together in a short call.
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