AI Agents at Work: Foundations
Understand what AI agents are and hand off your first task safely
A plain-language introduction to AI agents at work from the Enterprise Technology Association (ETA). Learn what agents are, how they differ from chatbots, and how to hand an agent its first task safely, with a clear brief, the right approvals and a careful review. The course uses the ETA Agent Autonomy Ladder and ETA's ADAPT framework, with workplace examples from many sectors and hands-on agent runs in the AI tool your organization approves (with a chat-only option if your tool has no agent features).
What you'll learn
- Explain the difference between a chatbot and an AI agent in plain words
- Use the ETA Agent Autonomy Ladder to decide how much to let AI do on its own, action by action
- Recognize the kinds of agents people use at work today, and what they do well and poorly
- Pick a first agent task that is low risk, reversible and easy to check
- Write a five-part task brief: goal, done criteria, inputs, limits, and when to stop and ask
- Stay in control with approvals before sending, buying or deleting, and review both the result and the steps an agent took
- Apply safety basics: least access, never sharing passwords, and spotting prompt injection
Who it's for
Working adults in any sector who have used a chatbot such as ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot or Gemini and want to start using AI agents safely. No technical background or coding is needed. Pairs well with AI Fluency: Foundations; when you are ready for more, continue to AI Agents at Work: Practitioner.
This course is part of Level 1: Foundations of the ETA Certified AI Empowered Professional. It takes about 80 minutes, including the hands-on agent runs, and includes two knowledge checks and a final assessment.