What’s the Difference Between an AI Agent, AI Assistant, and AI Copilot

Today’s update is brought to you by Kuba Filipowski, Co-Founder & CEO at Netguru.

AI-powered systems accelerate internal processes, cutting task completion times from days or hours to mere minutes. 

The future of AI-driven process optimization is here. Do you have the basics covered, though? 

The rapid rise of AI assistants 

Organizations around the world are implementing AI assistants to streamline their business operations and optimize processes. 65% of the McKinsey Global Survey respondents report that their companies are regularly using generative AI – nearly double the number from the previous survey in 2023.

So, what specific benefits are these organizations seeing? According to Forbes Advisor, more than half of businesses implementing AI do so to improve production processes (53%) and increase process automation (51%).

Other notable areas of AI adoption include, e.g., streamlining internal communications, SEO optimization, data aggregation, idea generation, and safety risk minimization.

When everyone’s talking about AI-driven acceleration, let’s make sure we understand the fundamentals. 

The difference between an AI agent, AI assistant, and AI copilot

AI agents

AI agents are large language models that can perform different actions autonomously, interact with other software, or work as a team of specialized agents interacting with each other.

What makes them a useful tool in business?

They act based on the task they’re given and can be used to, e.g., conduct market research, debug code, generate reports, draft go-to-market strategies or create files. In collaborative scenarios, AI agents can even work together on complex programming tasks.

AI agents go beyond traditional chat models by operating autonomously, interacting with other software, and collaborating with multiple agents to achieve complex tasks. This capability makes them a powerful tool for automating workflows and enhancing productivity, –  notes Patryk Szczygło , R&D Lead at Netguru.

AI assistants

Unlike AI agents, AI assistants are built for direct user interaction. While both use advanced AI technology, the main difference is how they engage with users.

AI assistants have user-oriented interfaces—such as chat windows, voice control, or dashboards—that make them accessible, especially for non-technical users. They also come with more functions out of the box, like managing calendars, sending emails, or answering questions.

While AI agents handle tasks autonomously behind the scenes, AI assistants guide users through tasks. For example, an AI agent might generate a ready-to-use presentation, whereas an AI assistant helps you create it by asking questions and offering support along the way.

The key to effective AI assistants is prompt engineering – designing and refining the prompts that guide the AI. With well-crafted system prompts, AI assistants can deliver precise, repeatable results, making them invaluable for both personal and business applications, – says Patryk.

AI copilots

AI copilots are contextual collaboration tools designed to boost team productivity by integrating directly into existing workflows. Unlike AI assistants, which handle a broad range of tasks, AI copilots focus on providing real-time, context-specific suggestions and improvements within tools like text editors or development environments.

For example, in coding, a copilot can suggest code snippets, fix errors, or write entire lines, helping streamline the process and improve efficiency.

Some of the most recognized AI copilots are those from GitHub (designed to help developers code more efficiently) and Microsoft (made for office workers to streamline their work within Microsoft 365 apps). 

According to GitHub’s survey, 88% of developers stated that copilot improved their productivity, and 74% said they have more time to focus on more satisfying work.

Everything you need to know about AI assistants  

If you’re looking to find a way for your business to utilize AI, we have put together an ebook that will help you nail it. Inside, you’ll find an in-depth analysis of the AI assistants landscape, featuring real-life use cases and step-by-step guidance on leveraging AI-powered systems to enhance operational efficiency.

You can download your copy here. 

Remember: Successful AI integration will depend on how well the technology adapts to an organization’s specific environment, whether it’s cultural nuances, industry regulations, or business needs. 

The future belongs to those who can mold AI to fit their unique context.

Good luck,

Kuba