Agent is a word everyone uses and nobody defines
You would like a definition you could repeat.
Courses
Start with three things you can do today
What are AI agents and how does automation work
Understand what AI agents actually do, and where they break.
Automation follows a process; an AI agent may choose steps and tools dynamically toward a goal. Definitions vary, and a chatbot can also use tools. Judge a system by its actual actions, permissions and checks rather than its label.
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A starting goal
I keep hearing about AI agents and automation. Explain in plain terms what they actually do, where they go wrong, and how to think about using them at work.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
Start today
Three things you can do before the course exists.
Useful on their own. The course is for when you want the whole skill, not just the first move.
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Compare a fixed path with a chosen path
Original hypothetical task: prepare a summary of three public museum pages. A fixed workflow fetches those three addresses in a set order. An agent might choose which public pages to search next when a date is missing. Either system can still produce an incorrect summary.
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Separate drafting from acting
Reading public pages and drafting a plan need different permissions from making bookings or sending email. For this example, allow research and a draft only. Define a stop when sources conflict; do not let a page's instructions grant the system new authority.
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Verify the task and its boundaries
Check that every museum claim has the right source and that no booking or message was sent. An apparent success is incomplete if it exceeded the intended scope. The example explains a design choice, not a claim that every agent requires the same level of human review.
Sources: Anthropic: the distinction between predefined workflows and dynamic agents. Practical examples are starting points, not promised results.
- Best for
- AI & technology
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons
- Pace
- Yours. One lesson at a time, as often as you like.
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store and Google Play, with an optional early testing list
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- Are you being asked to adopt these tools, or trying to understand the noise?
- Do you already use AI assistants for tasks?
- What kind of work would you want automated, if it could be trusted?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
You are asked whether your team should use them
And you cannot judge the pitch.
You are worried about handing over control
Rightly, and you want to know where the line is.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06From answers to actions
What changes when an AI can do things, not just say them.
How agents work
Goals, tools, steps and checking, in plain language.
Where they break
Compounding errors, misread instructions and confident wrong turns.
Trust and control
Permissions, checkpoints and the human in the loop.
Use cases at work
Sorting tasks into automate, assist and keep human.
Judging a pitch
Questions to ask any vendor or colleague proposing an agent.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
Explain agents plainly
Describe what an agent is, how it differs from a chat assistant, and what it can do.
Predict failures
Know the ways agents go wrong and why.
Judge a use case
Decide where automation is safe and valuable, and where a human belongs.
Ideas this course corrects
Autonomy is just a marketing word
Systems can differ materially in how they choose steps and use tools. Inspect the actual implementation and limits.
More autonomy is always better
Compare reliability, cost, time and error consequences with a simpler approach for the specific task.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
What are AI agents and how does automation work: what can I do today?
Compare a fixed path with a chosen path. Original hypothetical task: prepare a summary of three public museum pages. A fixed workflow fetches those three addresses in a set order. An agent might choose which public pages to search next when a date is missing. Either system can still produce an incorrect summary. Separate drafting from acting. Reading public pages and drafting a plan need different permissions from making bookings or sending email. For this example, allow research and a draft only. Define a stop when sources conflict; do not let a page's instructions grant the system new authority. Verify the task and its boundaries. Check that every museum claim has the right source and that no booking or message was sent. An apparent success is incomplete if it exceeded the intended scope. The example explains a design choice, not a claim that every agent requires the same level of human review.
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
Automation follows a process; an AI agent may choose steps and tools dynamically toward a goal. Definitions vary, and a chatbot can also use tools. Judge a system by its actual actions, permissions and checks rather than its label. It sits under AI & technology in the Work & ambitions part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Most courses run 7 to 30 lessons. The course length is sized to what you asked for. You set the pace: one lesson at a time, as often as you like. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
A starting goal
I keep hearing about AI agents and automation. Explain in plain terms what they actually do, where they go wrong, and how to think about using them at work.
Want new features first?