Chatbot
Carries on a conversation, answers questions, and guides users with limited, defined actions.
[ glossary — ai ]
AI agent vs chatbot: know the difference.
Compare conversational interfaces and systems that take action, then choose the level of autonomy your task needs.
( the difference )
Interface and autonomy are different choices.
AI agent
Chooses steps and uses tools toward a goal, within its permissions and stopping rules.
Shared foundation
Modern chatbots and agents often use language models. Agents add planning, state and feedback around actions; simpler chatbots may use fixed rules.
The spectrum
Products range from fixed responses to supervised workflows with tool use. Set autonomy according to the consequences of an error.
( choosing )
Match autonomy to the task.
Chatbot for support
Answer FAQs, route leads, and help visitors inside a friendly conversation.
Agent for workflows
Interpret documents, investigate tickets or coordinate steps across systems, with review points where needed.
Combine both
Many products start with a chatbot and add agentic actions where they save the most time.
Keep guardrails
Scope clearly and add human review for high-stakes or irreversible actions.
( comparison )
Compare typical responsibilities
Scroll across to see all columns.
| Factor | Chatbot | AI agent |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Conversation | Goal-driven action |
| Autonomy | Usually guided by the conversation | Variable, within defined limits |
| Tool use | May call tools or delegate to an agent | Selects tools as part of a workflow |
| Complexity | Depends on the underlying system | Adds planning, permissions and evaluation |
| Best for | Support and FAQs | Automating workflows |
( faq )
Common questions
What is the difference between a chatbot and an AI agent?
A chatbot describes how people interact with a system. An AI agent describes how a system plans and acts toward a goal. A single product can be both: a chat interface can start and supervise an agent workflow.
When should I use a chatbot?
Use a chatbot for support, FAQs, lead triage, and guided conversations where answering questions is the main job.
When should I use an AI agent?
Consider an agent when work spans several steps or systems and requires interpreting unstructured input or choosing actions within guardrails. Use conventional automation when fixed rules can fully describe the workflow.
Can an agent do everything a chatbot does?
An agent can use a chat interface, but planning and tool use add complexity. For a straightforward question-answering task, a simpler conversational system may be sufficient.
Are AI agents reliable?
Reliability must be measured on the intended tasks. Clear permissions, evaluation cases, monitoring, fallback paths and human approval for consequential actions help manage errors; they do not eliminate them.
Can Udaan build chatbots or agents?
Yes. We build both, from support chatbots to multistep AI agents that automate real business processes, and we'll recommend the right level of autonomy.