Bernard Marr posts AI agents guide

Bernard Marr used a May 19, 2026 post on X to point readers to his beginner’s guide on building AI agents for business work. The post linked to an article on his website that frames agents as systems that can handle multi-step tasks rather than single prompts. (x.com) Marr’s article was published on December 9, 2025, according to his website. In it, he wrote that AI agents “provide the opportunity to automate complex tasks and even entire workflows,” while also raising “important questions and critical risks.” (bernardmarr.com) The piece is written for non-specialists. (bernardmarr.com) Marr said readers do not need to be “an AI specialist, data scientist or software engineer” to start solving problems with AI, and described the guide as an entry point for people trying to sort through what he called a maze of hype, platforms and technical and ethical questions. (x.com) ### What does Marr say makes an AI agent different from a chatbot? Marr’s guide draws a line between fixed software, chatbots and agents. He wrote that traditional software follows coded instructions, while chatbots such as ChatGPT can interpret prompts but usually process one instruction at a time and then wait for the next one. (bernardmarr.com) AI agents, by contrast, are presented as systems that can plan and execute more complex sequences of work. Marr said chatbots are useful for answering questions or generating content, but “can’t plan and execute complex multi-step processes,” which is the capability he uses to define agents in the article. (bernardmarr.com) ### What kind of business work is the guide aimed at? Marr’s framing centers on workflow automation. His article says agents can be used to automate complex business tasks and entire workflows, placing the emphasis on operational work rather than consumer chat use. (bernardmarr.com) The article does not present itself as a technical manual. Instead, Marr positions it as a practical starting point for business users who want to understand where agents fit, what problems they can address and what risks need to be considered before deployment. (bernardmarr.com) ### How does Marr describe the audience for the guide? Marr says the intended audience includes people who are eager to experiment but are facing what he called an “overwhelming maze” of competing ideas and platforms. He writes that one of the “most exciting” aspects of agents is that they are simple enough for anyone to understand and begin using, even though they sit at the front edge of current AI development. (bernardmarr.com) That language places the guide alongside a broader run of business-oriented material Marr has published on agents. His site lists related articles on choosing use cases, agent platforms and workforce changes tied to agent deployment. (bernardmarr.com) ### What comes next in the series? Marr wrote on December 9, 2025 that the guide would be followed by “a series of articles” defining the questions, practical steps and decisions involved in getting started with agents. One follow-up article on his site, “The Beginner’s Blueprint For Building AI Agents That Handle Your Toughest Business Tasks,” was published in February 2026 and goes deeper into workflow design. (bernardmarr.com) That follow-up article says businesses should frame agent work around inputs, tasks and outputs, using examples such as an incoming email that triggers summarizing and routing actions. (bernardmarr.com) Marr’s site also links the guide to later pieces on selecting the right jobs for automation and comparing platforms for deployment. (forbes.com) (bernardmarr.com)