Welcome to Day 2! Now that we know what agents are, let’s zoom out and clarify how they compare to other tools we already use like chatbots and automations.

These terms and tools often get mixed together, but they solve very different problems.

🧠 What You’ll Learn Today

• The difference between chatbots, automations, and agents
• When to use each — and when not to
• Real tools you already know in each category
• How agents fill the gap between “ask” and “done”

🚦Three Tools for Three Types of Work

Here’s a breakdown:

🎯 The bottom line: If chatbots provide information and automations take actions, agents are the bridge that turns information into actions.

🤖 When to Use Which?

Chatbot

• Use when: you want a recommendation
• Why: fast answers that help you decide what to do

Automation

• Use when: you want something done the same way every time
• Why: predictable, repeatable actions

Agent

• Use when: the goal is fixed but the path may change
• Why: flexible decision-making and multi-step execution

Holiday Examples

Chatbot

• “What are the best vegetarian snacks to serve at a party?”

Automation

• Remind me to look for my Elf on the Shelf every day at 6:30am

Agent

• Track my favorite toy’s price across three websites and email me if it drops 15%

Each one works great when used the right way.

🛠️ Festive Hands-On Experiment: Holiday Movie Night 🎬🍿

Let’s put today’s lesson into action using one simple goal:

Plan a family holiday movie night.

For each of the different types of tools, you’ll find different prompts work best:

The Chatbot

Ask Google search: “What are 5 great holiday movies to watch with kids?”

You’ll get ideas in the AI Overview but there will still be work to do.

The Automation Engine

Use Siri, Alexa, or another assistant:

“Remind me Friday at 6 PM to pick a holiday movie and make popcorn.”

It will remind you when it’s time to for movie night but nothing more.

The Agent

Try Gemini or any agent-enabled experience:

“Help me plan a family holiday movie night for this weekend. Pick a family-friendly movie based on what’s available on , find a time and add it to our calendar, and mention the streaming service to use in the invite.”

As you go, you’ll notice:

• The chatbot gives suggestions
• The automation performs a fixed action
• The agent coordinates a plan across apps and data
• AI still can’t make the snacks.

📬 Keep the Streak Going

Next time: How Agents Actually Work — Tools, Memory, and Plans

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