The term “AI agent” is being used excessively—often without a clear distinction from chatbots or classic AI tools. In this Sustainability x AI series talk, Nextra Consulting GmbH and Carlotta Meyer-Burgdorff provide clarity: What are AI agents really, where is their added value compared to simpler AI solutions, and which use cases in sustainability management are particularly promising?
AI Agents vs. AI Tools: The Decisive Difference
An AI agent is not simply a better chatbot. The decisive difference lies in autonomy: agents can independently carry out multi-step processes, make decisions, access external data, and pass on results in a structured manner—without human intervention at every step.
Specific Application Areas in Sustainability Management
The talk identifies specific application possibilities that are particularly relevant for sustainability teams: automated benchmarking of sustainability data, regulatory screening of documents (e.g., for EUDR or CSRD), structured responses to supplier questionnaires, and data-based research. In all these cases, AI agents significantly reduce manual effort.
What you will learn in this talk
- The difference between chatbots, AI tools, and AI agents—and where truly autonomous processes are possible
- Typical application areas in sustainability management: benchmarking, screening, questionnaires, research
- What the path from idea to structured implementation looks like: process mapping, workflows, prompts, optimization
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