What is a Workflow?

A workflow is a sequence of predefined steps, usually rigid or semi-structured, that execute tasks in a specific order to achieve a goal.

In AI, a workflow is usually:

  • A chain of tasks that follows a fixed order.
  • Each step knows exactly what to do.
  • He doesn't make complex decisions on his own.
  • It is designed for repetitive, predictable, and automatable processes.

Examples:

  • “Receive text → summarize → translate → send”.
  • “Upload data → clean data → generate report”.
  • “Receive a prompt → generate image → upload it to a bucket.”

It is ideal when the process will always be the same.

What is an AI Agent?

An AI agent is a “digital worker” capable of thinking, deciding, and executing tasks without constant supervision.

  • Making decisions.
  • Choosing between multiple possible actions.
  • Call functions dynamically.
  • Solving problems without a predefined workflow.
  • Adapt according to the context or previous results.
  • Remember information.

An agent has a “brain” (LLM model) and can decide what to do depending on the situation.

Examples:

  • A social media agent who decides what content to generate based on the service.
  • A support agent decides whether to respond, escalate, or ask for more information.
  • A financial analysis agent who chooses which metrics to analyze.

It does not follow a fixed process: reason, choose, act, evaluate and try again.