Everyone uses "AI agent" and "AI assistant" interchangeably. They shouldn't.
The difference matters because it determines what you can actually automate.
The simple definition
AI Assistant: Responds when asked. Like a very smart intern who only works when you give them a task.
AI Agent: Acts without being asked. Like an employee who takes initiative within boundaries.
What an AI assistant can do
ChatGPT, Claude (in chat mode), Gemini — these are assistants. You:
- Send a message
- Wait for response
- Evaluate the output
- Send a follow-up
The cycle is: You → AI → You → AI → You
You drive. The AI follows.
What an AI agent can do
OpenClaude (with computer use), Manus, AutoGPT — these are agents. You:
- Give a goal
- Agent figures out the steps
- Agent executes
- Agent reports back when done
The cycle is: You → Goal → AI → Result
The AI drives. You oversee.
A concrete example
Assistant workflow
You: "Summarize this article." AI: [summarizes] You: "Now turn this into 3 tweets." AI: [writes tweets] You: "Make them shorter." AI: [shortens]
You're holding the leash. Every step requires your input.
Agent workflow
You: "Find the top 10 articles about AI agents this week, summarize each in 2 sentences, identify the key themes, and save to a file." AI: [searches, reads, summarizes, themes, saves file] You: [reviews output]
You're the manager. The agent does the work.
When to use which
Use an assistant when:
- You need tight control over each step
- The task is simple or well-defined
- You want to iterate on output in real-time
- You're learning what you want
Use an agent when:
- The task has many steps
- You trust the AI to make reasonable decisions
- You'd otherwise have to micromanage
- You need to scale beyond your attention
The hybrid approach
The best setup uses both:
- Assistant for drafting, brainstorming, learning
- Agent for execution, research, automation
Use the assistant to figure out what you want. Use the agent to go do it.
Why this matters
Calling everything an "AI agent" leads to:
- Disappointed expectations: You think you're delegating, but you're still micromanaging
- Security risks: Agents have more access, so more can go wrong
- Cost overruns: Agents can do more, so they can spend more
Know what you're using.
How to tell what you're using
Ask yourself:
- "Did I give it a goal or a task?"
- "Am I in the loop for every step?"
- "Is it acting while I'm away?"
If you're giving goals and it's acting without you — that's an agent.
If you're giving tasks and waiting for responses — that's an assistant.
Simple as that.