The anatomy of an AI agent
AI agents are coming to a business near you, and you might have already chatted with one to ask a question, facilitate a return, or get help with any other number of issues. While AI agents are beginning to strike a more human tone, we know it’s not a human on the other side. So what exactly makes up an AI agent?
In customer service, sales, or any other domain, AI agents are not a single piece of technology but rather a collection of connected systems that are carefully weaved together.
“It’s important to consider each component individually and how they integrate with each other,” said Sinarwati Mohamad Suhaili, a computer networking researcher at the University Malaysia Sarawak.
In fact, dividing the system into constituent parts should be “the first step” in designing any sort of AI system.
Overall, each of these components serves a specific and crucial role for making an AI agent function. Breaking down the AI agent into parts shows the importance each plays and how it maps directly to achieving the function of a successful AI agent, and more importantly, to the customer experience. AI agents are not a “set it and forget it” type of technology, however. Even after these components are in place, they’ll need to work together in concert and be continuously refined through analytics and guidance. AI agents may be powered by large language models, but all in all, they’re the sum of their parts.
It all starts with the AI model, of course. But from the knowledge source to the analytics layer and everything in between, here’s a look at the nuts and bolts of an AI agent and what’s most important to know about how to successfully integrate them into your business.
