[Market Trends] AI Agents and AI Assistants: A Contrast in Function | IBM Technology

π AI Assistants vs. Agents: Helpers or Strategists?
The video explores the distinction between AI Assistants and AI Agents, likening them to a movie star's assistant and agent. AI Assistants are reactive tools that respond to user prompts, handling routine tasks like scheduling or responding to queries (e.g., Siri, Alexa). Built on large language models (LLMs), they rely on precise user input but can improve through prompt tuning or fine-tuning for repetitive tasks. On the other hand, AI Agents act autonomously, breaking down tasks and creating workflows to achieve goals. They require only an initial prompt and can use external tools, data, and persistent memory for strategic tasks like automated trading. While assistants excel in repetitive tasks, agents handle complex, dynamic problems. Despite challenges such as computational costs and brittleness, both technologies are evolving, with future synergy expected to combine their strengths for diverse applications.