What is an Agent?

An Autonomous Agent is a computer program, which acts on behalf of humans and is capable of making decisions. The Agents make these decisions in an autonomous manner without depending on interaction with the humans they represent. They are reactive and when they detect an opportunity, they take advantage of it. They are also proactive, reasoning and searching for information. Additionally, they are social in that they negotiate with other agents and humans, in order to satisfy the objectives previously configured.