What is an autonomous agent?
An autonomous agent is an AI system that can pursue a goal on its own, deciding what to do next, using tools and taking actions with little or no step-by-step human input. In business, autonomy is usually bounded by permissions, approval gates and audit trails.
Levels of autonomy
| Level | Agent behavior |
|---|---|
| Suggest | Drafts, a person acts |
| Approve | Acts after approval |
| Act and report | Acts, then notifies |
| Fully autonomous | Acts without review |
Example
An autonomous support agent verifies a duplicate charge, issues a refund within policy and closes the ticket, escalating anything outside policy.
Risks
Wrong actions, data exposure and loops. Start with low-risk tasks and expand.
