Definition
An AI agent is AI software that does not only answer but acts on its own on behalf of a user: reading and answering an email, consulting a file, updating a system or making a purchase. The AI Act has no separate regime for agents: according to the European Commission an agent is typically an AI system within the meaning of Article 3(1) of the AI Act, a position it calls provisional. If the agent processes personal data, the GDPR applies as well.
AI agents and the law: AI Act, GDPR and governance: The complete guide: what applies now, the GDPR, the risks and the six controls.
Agent check: is your AI agent safe and within the rules?: Free, in five minutes.