A chatbot is a program that holds a conversation: it answers questions from a script or with the help of a language model. An AI agent goes further: it understands a goal, plans steps and takes actions in other systems – checking a database, creating a ticket, sending an email.
The difference is practical: a chatbot answers, an agent gets things done. Asked about an order status, a chatbot gives you the information (if it has it). An agent checks the order in the system itself, corrects the delivery address at the customer's request and sends a confirmation – because it has permission to act, not just to talk.
That difference has design consequences. An agent needs boundaries: which systems it can access, which operations it performs on its own and which require human approval. Without them, speed turns into risk.
Which when: a chatbot is enough when the goal is answering repetitive questions (FAQ, status, availability). An AI agent makes sense when the task spans several steps across several systems and its value is measured in your team's time saved. Start with one narrow, well-measured process.