AI isn’t just a futuristic fantasy anymore. Like coffee and Wi-Fi, it’s a daily workplace essential. At the heart of this digital revolution are AI agents. These clever personal assistants reshape how we work by streamlining tasks and predicting our needs before we ask.
Businesses that use AI agents report serious gains — they’re up to 40% more productive and can reduce expenses by up to 95%. If you’re ready to reap the same benefits, read on. You’ll learn more about the best AI agents and how to use them.
What are AI agents?
You’re probably familiar with generative AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which allow you to have conversations or create entire pieces of content in seconds. These types of AI make life easier by speeding up creative and analytical tasks. But even the best conversational AI tools can’t compete with AI agents.
While chatbots are programmed to respond to prompts, AI agents take automation a step further. They handle tasks without human input or guidance. If your work involves repetitive, time-consuming activities like data entry, AI agents can take them over. This frees up time for more complex projects, putting you leagues above the competition in terms of productivity and efficiency.
5 types of AI agents
Here are the five types of AI agents, plus examples of each in action:
1. Simple reflex agents
Simple reflex agents respond to specific conditions in a predetermined way. They don’t have memory or adaptability, so if the conditions change from those predefined, the agent won’t react. For example, a spam filter might automatically move emails with certain keywords to a junk folder, but it doesn’t learn from new types of spam.
2. Model-based reflex agents
Model-based reflex agents build a model of the world based on past interactions and use that history to guide their responses. A project management tool might notice you haven’t updated the progress on a task in a while and use this information to automatically adjust the timeline or send a reminder to the team to keep everything on track.
3. Goal-based agents
Goal-based agents are designed to achieve a specific objective. They use this goal, along with their understanding of the context, to guide their actions. For instance, if you use a goal-based AI agent app to plan your workouts around building cardio stamina, it’ll recommend exercises that slowly build your longevity.
4. Utility-based agents
Utility-based agents go a step further than goal-based by assessing multiple possible outcomes and choosing the one that brings the most benefit. For example, a workout planning app considers not only your fitness goal but also the time you have available and the types of exercises you enjoy.
5. Learning agents
Learning agents are the most advanced type of AI agent. They improve over time by learning from new data and experiences. For instance, virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa get better at understanding your voice, preferences, and habits the more you use them. As a result, these assistants become increasingly intuitive, anticipating your needs and providing a more tailored experience.
The 8 best AI agents of 2025
If you’re ready to automate your workflow and boost productivity, here are eight AI agents to explore:
1. Otter Meeting Agent
The Otter Meeting Agent is a voice-activated AI agent that helps you get more out of your meetings. It attends, transcribes, and summarizes them, and it’s interactive. During meetings, ask the Meeting Agent questions aloud about anything discussed, and it’ll search your meeting database to provide real-time answers. You can also ask the agent to schedule future meetings or draft follow-up emails.
2. Otter Sales Agent
Otter also offers an AI-powered Sales Agent that coaches you through sales calls, providing support behind the scenes. It listens to the conversation, pulls insights from past meetings and sources like your customer relationship management (CRM) platform, and gives real-time guidance to navigate objections and seal the deal. You don’t have to second-guess — respond confidently based on Otter’s advice. After the call, the Sales Agent instantly generates a summary and even drafts a follow-up email to keep the momentum going.
3. Otter SDR Agent
Otter’s Sales Development Representative (SDR) Agent takes sales automation to the next level. This AI-powered sales rep can demo your products in real time, answer questions, and guide potential customers — all on its own. That means everyone who visits your website gets instant, personalized attention, no matter the time of day.
No more lost leads due to slow responses, and no more pressure on your human sales team to juggle every inquiry. With Otter’s SDR Agent, your business is always selling — even when you’re off the clock.
4. ClickUp Brain
If you use ClickUp for project management, take advantage of ClickUp Brain. This tool has three AI agents that optimize your workflow:
- The AI Knowledge Manager answers questions about any project, task, or document.
- The AI Project Manager automates progress updates and scheduling to keep everything on track.
- Finally, the AI Writer for Work streamlines writing tasks by tailoring the content it generates to your specific job.
5. Fin
Intercom’s AI agent, Fin, automates customer support by handling inquiries and guiding users through troubleshooting steps. It also sorts and prioritizes customer support queries, bringing the most complex cases to human team members.
6. Agentforce
Salesforce offers Agentforce, an AI platform that lets businesses create personalized AI agents to handle tasks independently. Build assistants that respond to customer queries, manage sales leads, or automate follow-up emails. These AI agents integrate with Salesforce’s CRM, allowing them to pull in relevant data and make informed decisions.
7. Amazon Nova Act
Amazon’s innovative AI model, Nova Act, allows you to create agents that perform tasks autonomously across the web. Use Nova Act agents to update your calendar, make purchases, or research an idea. Developers are still in the process of creating these agents, but once available, they have the potential to save time and increase productivity.
8. AutoGPT
If you want to create a customized AI agent to manage your business or workflow, AutoGPT may be the solution. Design AI assistants to handle everything from content creation to data analysis, marketing tasks, and sales functions. AutoGPT is still under development, but you can join the waitlist to learn when it becomes available.
Optimizing AI agent performance: 4 best practices
Ready to harness the power of AI agents? Here are four tips for the best experience:
1. Set clear goals and use cases
Start by defining exactly what you want the AI agent to achieve. This helps you choose the best agent for the task and customize instructions accordingly. Say your marketing team uses AI agents to generate targeted content. Giving the agent clear objectives — like increasing engagement or boosting conversions — guides the AI to produce outputs that align with your business strategy.
2. Test before launch
Before deploying an AI agent, run thorough tests to assess its performance in real-world situations. If you’re using an AI agent for customer service, test it with different inquiries and evaluate its response accuracy and times. If it performs as well as — or better than — a human customer service agent, you can confidently move forward with the launch.
3. Monitor performance
AI agents need constant oversight to make sure they meet your expectations. Track metrics like accuracy, efficiency, and user satisfaction to spot and address any issues early. Say you’re using Otter’s Sales Agent for live sales coaching. Regularly assess the accuracy of its insights and its effectiveness in helping the team close deals. Monitoring these metrics allows you to adjust as needed for optimal performance.
4. Stay up to date
AI agents improve over time through continuous learning. By regularly updating their data, providing feedback, and giving new instructions, you ensure agents have the information they need to work effectively. Also, integrate software updates and new models as they’re released to keep AI agents performing at their best.
Unlock next-level productivity with Otter’s AI agents
AI agents are revolutionizing work by enhancing productivity — and Otter is leading the charge. Otter’s Meeting Agent helps you make the most of your meetings, the Sales Agent coaches you through calls, and the SDR Agent demos products autonomously. With these innovative AI agents, you’ll save time and stay ahead of the competition.
Try Otter today!