What are AI agents? | Types of Artificial Intelligence Agents
The arrival of Artificial Intelligence can already be considered one of the greatest revolutions in human history. With increasingly rapid advances, its capabilities and attributes continue to surprise (or frighten) both those familiar with it and those outside its field.
It is within this vast field of possibilities that a relatively new concept emerges: that of the AI agent . Therefore, we will now analyze specifically what it is, its main characteristics, and what uses people can give it (also considering the malicious use that cybercrime can make of it).
What is an AI agent?
An Artificial Intelligence agent is a program that has the ability to perceive its environment and, based on that, make decisions independently using Artificial Intelligence models.
Specifically, these are autonomous systems capable of reasoning and making decisions to achieve certain objectives. In fact, their main capabilities include machine learning and independent operation.
In other words, it is software that allows users to optimize and automate workflows , but with a high degree of autonomy and independence.
What functions do AI agents have?
The scope and capabilities of an AI agent are defined by the functional components that shape its software. Namely:
· Input/Sensors: This allows the agent to obtain information from the environment or the user. This includes text, audio, images, structured data, and even external APIs.
· Memory: Thanks to it, information can be stored and retrieved in order to make decisions. This is where databases, vector storage, and episodic storage come into play.
· Cognitive model: Through language models, neural networks, or planning engines, it can interpret input, reason about the problem presented, and decide what to do.
· Controller or planner: This is the engine through which an AI agent decides what action to take, when, and how. Decision trees, rule engines, reinforcement learning, and orchestrated flows all come into play for this purpose.
· Actuators: These extended capabilities allow you to execute actions in the digital or physical world. How? By accessing APIs, scripts, search engines, and external systems, among other things.
· Policies/Guardrails: A key factor, as it specifically defines what the agent can and cannot do. In other words, it gives it personality and style, but also imposes restrictions. This is done through prompts, business rules, and/or security filters.
· A response actuator is what generates a comprehensible output or executes an action. It can do this through natural language generation, by sending actions to the system, or through visualizations.
Types of AI agents with examples
In the world of AI agents, there are different types, each designed to interact in a specific way, with varying degrees of complexity. These are the 5 types of AI agents .
- Simple reflex agents
It's the simplest form of AI agent: it bases its actions on current perception, as it has no memory and no interaction with other agents. How do they work? They are pre-programmed to perform actions tied to meeting certain conditions.
An everyday example? The air conditioning in a home/office that turns on at a specific time.
- Model-based reflex agents
They use their current perception and memory to maintain an internal model. This model is updated as they receive new information, but they are also limited by the set of norms/rules.
This is where robot vacuums come in handy; they detect obstacles and move around them. They also store the areas they've already cleaned to avoid repeating areas.
- Goal-based agents
They are agents who seek sequences of action to achieve their objective: in fact, they plan before acting.
The clearest example is that of navigation systems, which indicate the fastest route to reach a destination.
- Utility-based agents
These agents choose the sequence of actions that allows them to reach the objective while maximizing utility/reward. They are very useful in cases where there are multiple scenarios that achieve a goal, but the most optimal one must be chosen.
Here, a navigation system is used that recommends, for example, the route that optimizes fuel consumption and toll costs.
- Learning agents
These are the only ones who have the capacity to learn. How? Through the new experiences they add to their knowledge base.
In our daily lives, we can recognize these types of agents through personalized recommendations on e-commerce sites, as they can store in their memory the activity and preferences of each user.
How can an AI agent be used by cybercrime?
As with any technology or tool, everything depends on the intention behind its use. AI agents are no exception to this principle. In fact, MIT recently shared an analysis stating that cyberattacks are on the horizon. by AI agents.
Regarding this, Martina López, a Security Researcher at ESET Latin America's Lab team, explains: “Agents used for criminal purposes could lead to automated attacks that learn from their own mistakes. Thus, we could be facing a phishing campaign that learns which lure is most effective, based on the number of victims who fall for one scam or another.”
In this scenario, it's important to consider that AI agents could also be used to identify vulnerable targets, as well as to access systems and subsequently steal victims' data. And there's another advantage: they are much more economical compared to the expense of hiring a team of professionals to do this work.
How do I protect myself from an AI-powered cyberattack?
According to Xi Kang, a professor at the Owen Graduate School of Management, artificial intelligence agents are algorithms capable of helping to predict and make decisions, even considered by experts as “digital partners or employees” that enhance everyday processes. However, this same power is already being used by cybercriminals to carry out automated cyberattacks, data theft, and increasingly difficult-to-detect threats.
In a world where cybersecurity is more critical than ever, protecting your devices and personal information is not optional. ESET Home Security provides advanced protection technology designed to mitigate these emerging risks and safeguard your digital life against AI-powered attacks.
Don't wait until you're the victim of a cyberattack! Strengthen your data protection with ESET and keep your digital home safe.
