Decision guide
AI Agent vs Chatbot: How to Choose
Understand when a chatbot is enough and when a governed AI agent is the better operating model.
Key principles
A chatbot primarily handles conversational interaction; an agent may also use tools, retrieve knowledge, follow multi-step workflows and take permitted actions.
Use the simplest pattern that meets the requirement. More autonomy increases the need for permissions, monitoring, evaluation and escalation.
High-impact actions should have explicit controls and accountable human ownership.
Decision checklist
✓ Choose a chatbot when the task is mainly question answering or guided conversation.
✓ Choose an agent when the workflow requires tools, state, multi-step execution or controlled actions.
✓ Define what the system must never do before choosing the architecture.
How DataLgorithmics approaches the decision
Define the operating problem, identify the evidence required, compare realistic options, establish success and control criteria, and make the smallest justified investment that can answer the decision.