AI development
AI agents for business
AI agents for business can read a request, decide the next step and act on it inside limits you set. We build them for defined tasks and keep a person in charge of the results.
The short answer
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What is an AI agent, and how is it different from a chatbot?
Three tools that are often confused, and what each one is for.
| AI agent | Chatbot | Fixed automation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Chooses steps to reach a goal and acts on them | Answers questions in a chat window | Follows the same steps every time |
| Uses your systems | Yes, within set limits | Usually not | Yes, in a fixed order |
| Handles variation | Some, with checks | Within what it was given to say | No |
| Best for | Tasks with changing detail and clear limits | Common questions | Tasks with identical steps |
For fixed steps, see our AI automation service.
What it can do
What can an AI agent do for a business?
Agents suit work that changes a little each time but stays inside clear limits.
Support requests
Read a message, find the answer in your own material and draft a reply for a person to approve.
Inbox sorting
Sort incoming mail by topic and urgency and pass each item to the right person.
Document handling
Pull the key details out of forms, invoices or contracts and enter them in your system.
Internal requests
Answer staff questions about policies and process using documents you provide.
Support
Customer support automation with AI agents
Customer support automation is the most common starting point. An agent can draft replies, look up order details and sort tickets, while a person reviews anything unusual before it goes out.
If you want a team behind your support, see our customer service outsourcing. An agent can sit alongside it.
How it works
How we build and test an AI agent
Each step has a person checking the result.
Choose the task
We pick one task with clear limits and agree what the agent may and may not do.
Set the limits
What it can read, what it can change and when it must ask a person should be agreed in writing before any build starts.
Build
We build the agent and connect the systems it needs.
Test
We run it on real examples, review every mistake with you and adjust the limits.
Go live with review
The agent starts with a person checking its output, and the checks reduce only when you are happy.
Safety
Keeping an AI agent safe: data, access and review
An agent should only reach the data and systems its task needs. Its access should be kept to the minimum, its actions should be logged and a person should be responsible for the result.
Where your data goes depends on the tools used, so ask any supplier to confirm this in writing before you start. Our security and data protection page covers how we handle information.
Controls around an agent
- Access limited to what the task needs
- A person approves actions with real consequences
- A record of what the agent did
- A clear owner for the output
Cost
What affects the cost of an AI agent?
Cost depends on the task, the number of systems the agent connects to and how much testing it needs. Agents that act on more systems need more care to build.
Pricing depends on scope. Book a 15 minute call or email contact@zemash.com.
AI tools can carry running costs of their own, so ask what they are before you start.
What affects the cost
- The task and its limits
- Systems the agent connects to
- Testing and review needed
- Running costs of AI tools used
Related
Related AI services
Hire AI Experts
A Zemash group company for businesses that want an AI specialist in their own team.
Questions
AI agent questions
What is an AI agent?
An AI agent is software that works towards a goal. It chooses its own steps and uses your tools to carry them out, within limits that a person sets.
What is the difference between an AI agent and a chatbot?
A chatbot answers questions in a chat window. An agent can also act, such as updating a record or sending a draft, within the limits you set.
Can an AI agent handle customer support on its own?
It can handle routine requests, but we recommend a person reviews anything unusual or sensitive. The agent drafts and sorts, and a person decides.
How do you keep an AI agent from making mistakes?
No agent is free of mistakes, so we test on real examples, limit what it can change and keep a person checking its output. See the safety section above.
How much does an AI agent cost?
Pricing depends on scope. Book a 15 minute call or email contact@zemash.com.
Where does my data go when an agent uses it?
It depends on the tools the agent uses, so ask any supplier to confirm this in writing before you start. Our security and data protection page explains how we handle information.
Book a call
Book a 15 minute call
Choose a time that suits you. We are available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm UK time.
- Free and without obligation
- Prefer email? Write to contact@zemash.com
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