What are AI Agents, Really? › Complexity Spectrum

The terms "agentic workflow," "agent," and "agent swarm" are widely used now, but they lack universally agreed-upon definitions. However, somewhat of a practical consensus has emerged around their core characteristics and distinctions. My definition below is based on this consensus. | Level | Complexity | Definition | |---------------------|------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | **Agentic Workflow** | Simple | LLM-based workflow with mostly deterministic logic and few branches | | **Agent** | Medium | Autonomous system with conditional logic and a defined goal | | **Agent Swarm** | High | Multiple agents coordinating with unclear endpoint |