Welcome to Day 1! Over the next 12 weekdays, we’ll unpack what AI agents are, why they’re suddenly becoming essential, and how you can start using them to automate real work — not just chat.

🧠 What You’ll Learn Today

• What “AI agents” actually are (in plain English)

• How agents differ from chatbots

• Why they unlock real productivity gains

• A concrete examples to get yourself started

🚀 Key Concept: Agents Take Action

Large Language Models (like ChatGPT) are great at generating ideas, text, and even images — but they stop there. When working with LLMs and chatbots, it’s still on you to copy/paste the output elsewhere or take actions based on the response. That creates extra work and slows things down.

AI Agents change that.

Agents can analyze a problem, define a plan, and take actions on your behalf. They can interact with tools, data, and APIs. They can search the web, edit files, send messages, and more.

This shift from talking about what to do to actually doing it is a HUGE leap from “classic” (as in… ~3 years old 😄) chatbots.

To summarize, agents are:

• Autonomous — they choose what to do next

• Goal-oriented — they work toward an outcome, not just an answer

• Tool-using — they can execute commands, send emails, modify files, etc.

🤖 A Quick Example: Planning a Holiday Party 🎉

Imagine prompting a chatbot:

“Help me plan a holiday party for Dec 20th.”

It might give suggestions or ideas:

“Here are five theme ideas and a menu to consider!”

🎁 But an agent could:

• Create a fun invite

• Select a design that matches your style

• Pull contact info from your address book

• Send invites for you

• It could even help with shopping 

With you approving each step along the way.

That’s not advice, that’s action.  

🛠️ Hands-On Experiment

Step 1: Navigate to Google Gemini

Step 2: Enter the following prompt:

You are an AI agent that can help plan a holiday party.

1. Suggest three party themes.
2. Ask clarifying questions to help you plan.
3. Review my calendar and suggest a good date.
4. Create a calendar invite for me.
5. Create a party planning a doc in Google Drive.

Step 3: Answer the follow up questions from Gemini and continue to engage with the agent.

As you go, expect to approve actions or grant access to keep things safe.

Bonus idea: request a reminder to buy hors d'oeuvres.

✍️ Quick Recap

• Chatbots give advice, agents take action

• Agents can automate meaningful everyday work

• Always review permissions — agents should only do what you ask

You now have the foundation we’ll build on.

📬 Keep the Streak Going

Tomorrow: Agents vs. Chatbots vs. Automations — where each fits.

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