AI Agent
Definition
An AI agent is an AI system that goes beyond generating text to autonomously reasoning about tasks, making decisions, using external tools, and taking actions to achieve goals. Unlike a chatbot that responds to individual prompts, an agent can break down complex goals into sub-tasks, call APIs, read and write data, and iterate until the objective is complete.
Agents vs. Assistants
An AI assistant answers questions when asked. An AI agent acts autonomously — decomposing goals into tasks, selecting tools, executing actions, and evaluating results. The key difference is agency: assistants wait for instructions, agents pursue objectives.
Agent Governance
Autonomous agents require stronger governance than assistants. JieGou provides graduated autonomy (4 trust levels), tool approval gates (agents can only access approved services), escalation protocols (agents escalate to humans when confidence is low), and audit logging (every agent action is recorded).
Related Terms
AI Workflows
Learn what AI workflows are and how they automate multi-step processes. Workflows chain recipes with branching, loops, approval gates, and parallel execution.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Learn what MCP (Model Context Protocol) is and how JieGou uses it. MCP enables AI to interact with external tools, browsers, and services through a standardized protocol.
AI Governance
AI governance is the set of policies, controls, and oversight mechanisms that ensure AI systems operate safely, ethically, and in compliance with regulations.