Lately, the term "AI Agent" keeps popping up everywhere. Whether it's news articles or videos, everyone's talking about AI agents and the AI agent market, like it's the latest trend.

Everyone's familiar with ChatGPT, Gemini, and the like, but what exactly are AI agents? Why bother with an AI agent when you can just use ChatGPT?

First, let's define AI agents. Simply put, they're like "all-around assistants."

You can chat with ChatGPT, and it can write articles and answer questions. But if you ask it to book a flight or track a package, it'll shrug and say, "I can't do that!"

AI agents are different. They not only chat but also "get things done." Think of ChatGPT as a smart brain, but without hands or feet. An AI agent equips that brain with memory and a body, allowing it to perceive the outside world, remember what it's done, and go off to complete tasks.

For example, with Manus AI, which is currently popular, you can ask it to write a report. It can plan the steps, search for information online, remember what it's seen, and finally deliver the finished product. With ChatGPT, you'd have to find and feed it the information yourself before it could even start working.

So, why do we need AI agents? Aren't large language models enough? Well, large language models are like "all talk, no action." They're great at chatting, but their ability to act is limited. AI agents, on the other hand, are more like "doers" who can interact with the real world.

For example, if you say, "Find me a cheap flight to Shanghai for next week," the AI agent will go and search, compare prices, and give you a reliable suggestion. ChatGPT might just chat with you about the scenery in Shanghai, with very little practical information.

Therefore, AI agents add "hands-on skills" to AI, transforming it from being all talk to being able to get things done.