What is the difference between an AI agent and a workflow?

A workflow follows a defined sequence. An AI agent can choose steps and tools as it works toward a goal. Products use these labels differently, so check how much freedom the system actually has and where a person approves its actions.

By Superpowers by Waymaker · Reviewed October 7, 2026

A real-work example

A fixed form-to-spreadsheet handoff is a workflow. An assistant that decides which sources to investigate for a research brief behaves more like an agent.

Try this next

Write the goal and permitted actions.
Use fixed steps when the process is predictable.
Add agent discretion only where it helps, with limits and review.

Put it into practice

Meet the agent squad ↗Map a workflow ↗

Read the original sources

Anthropic: Building effective agents ↗

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