What Is an AI Agent — And Why It's Different From ChatGPT
May 25, 2026 · 4 min read
Most people think of AI as a chatbot — you ask, it answers, you forget about it.
An AI agent is fundamentally different. It doesn't just answer. It acts.
The Key Difference
ChatGPT remembers nothing between sessions. Every conversation starts from zero. You explain yourself every single time.
An AI agent like Hermes remembers everything — your name, your habits, your preferences, your ongoing projects. It builds a model of you over time and uses that context in every response.
What "Agentic" Actually Means
When we say agentic, we mean the AI can:
- Use tools — search the web, read your emails, check your calendar, execute code
- Take actions — send emails, create calendar events, set reminders
- Work across platforms — Telegram, Discord, web chat — all with the same memory
ChatGPT can tell you how to send an email. Hermes sends the email.
Why This Matters
The difference between knowing and doing is everything. Most of us don't need more information — we need things done.
That's what an AI agent is. Not a smarter search engine. An AI that works for you.
Hermes by iTomas AI is a personal AI agent available at itomas.ai. €20/month, works in Telegram and Discord.