11/09/2026
Chatbot, assistant, agent, conversational AI — the labels are often used as if they mean the same thing, but the capabilities are quite different.
A chatbot mainly answers questions. An assistant helps a user complete tasks. An AI agent can go further: planning and carrying out multi-step actions across systems such as CRMs, payment tools or support platforms.
Understanding the distinction matters because it changes what you are buying, how much autonomy the system has and what safeguards you need.
https://www.allabor.com/highway/ai-terminology-explained-chatbots-assistants-agents-and-more