AI glossary
Chatbot
A program you talk to in natural language, by text or voice. Modern chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini run on large language models.
Older chatbots followed scripts and only understood fixed phrases. Today’s are built on LLMs, so they can hold open conversations, write, explain and reason. Many now also search the web, read files and use tools.
A chatbot answers when you ask. An AI agent goes further: it works towards a goal on its own, in several steps, and can act in other apps.
Example: A bank’s old bot only understood words like “balance” or “card”. A current one understands “why was I charged twice for the gym this month?” and can look up the answer in the bank’s help pages.
In practice
- For important facts, ask for sources or turn on web search.
- Do not share passwords or sensitive data in a chat.
- In the EU, since 2 August 2026 you must be told when you are talking to an AI unless it is obvious. If a company’s chatbot cannot solve your problem, ask for a person.
To see what changes when AI starts acting, read what an AI agent is.
