The Automation Lab — Lesson 1
What Is an Agent?
Most "AI" you've seen is actually just automation — a trigger, an action, done. An agent is different: it perceives, decides, acts, and adapts in a continuous loop.
An agent is a system that can: (1) observe its environment, (2) make decisions based on what it sees, (3) take real actions, and (4) keep going in a loop — adapting as it goes. It's not just following a script. It's responding to what's actually happening.
Automation
Trigger
Action
Done
Pipeline complete. Waiting for next trigger...
Agent
Test Your Understanding
Automation or Agent?
Read each scenario and decide: is it an automation or an agent?
Lesson Complete!
You now understand the core difference: automations follow a fixed path, agents perceive, decide, act, and learn in a continuous loop.
Match Agent vs Automation
Tap one on the left, then its match on the right
Order the Agent Loop
Arrange the four stages of the agent loop in the correct order
1Decide — choose what to do based on observations
2Perceive — observe the environment
3Learn — adapt based on outcomes
4Act — take real action in the world