AI agent or chatbot: what is the difference, and which do you need?
A chatbot answers questions. An AI agent does the work: it checks an order, books an appointment, updates the CRM and tells the customer what happened.
The short answer
A chatbot follows fixed scripts and answers questions. An agent understands the request, uses your tools and completes the task. If your team answers the same questions all day, a knowledge chatbot may be enough. If the work after the answer is what takes time, you need an agent.
What happens when the AI does not know?
A well-built agent says so and hands the conversation to your team with the full history, so the customer does not repeat anything.