AI Agents vs. Chatbots - What's the difference?

Read full article here: https://astrix.security/learn/blog/ai-agents-vs-ai-chatbots-understanding-the-difference/?source=nhimg

In the age of GenAI, not all artificial intelligence is created equal. While AI chatbots help users get answers, AI agents take real action, often autonomously, across systems, and at scale.

This shift from responding to doing changes everything about how we secure these technologies. Especially when Non-Human Identities (NHIs), like API keys and service accounts—are the engines behind both.

Chatbots: Predictable, Constrained, and Easier to Secure

Chatbots operate in narrow lanes. They follow pre-set rules, respond to structured inputs, and are limited in what they can access.

• Low privilege access

• No autonomous behavior

• Static roles and scripts

From a security perspective, they’re easier to monitor, govern, and contain. Think of them as controlled front-ends for user support or guided workflows.

AI Agents: Dynamic, Autonomous, and High-Risk by Design

AI agents don’t just answer—they act. They can:

• Make real-time decisions

• Chain tools and workflows

• Access sensitive systems

• Operate continuously without user input

To do this, they rely heavily on NHIs credentials that grant access to everything from cloud infrastructure to databases. And unlike chatbots, these agents learn and adapt over time.

That power makes them valuable… but also risky.

Smarter AI = Bigger Security Problems

AI agents amplify the exact challenges that make NHI security hard:

• Scale - Thousands of actions per second

• Unpredictability - Dynamic workflows and tool chains

• Persistence - Long-running access without session boundaries

• Privilege creep - Broad access often goes unchecked

• New attack vectors - Especially in multi-agent environments

How Astrix Secures AI Agents

Astrix transforms your AI security posture by providing complete control over the non-human identities that power your AI agents. Instead of struggling with invisible risks and potential breaches, you gain immediate visibility into your entire AI ecosystem, understand precisely where vulnerabilities exist, and can act decisively to mitigate threats before they happen.