A writer tested 12 AI agents to act as a personal assistant

A writer spent a week testing 12 AI agents to see which could act like a chief of staff. The agents did real errands, including researching and booking Amtrak train tickets. The author says they had never had a secretary or chief of staff before, and that with these tools they suddenly feel like they have both.

What was tested

An AI agent is a program that does tasks for you instead of only answering questions. You tell it a goal, and it works through the steps. The test was published by Fast Company and republished from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps readers discover useful sites and apps.

Booking travel is a good example of the shift. A chatbot can suggest a train time. An agent can look up options and complete the booking.

Who it affects

Busy owners and professionals who handle their own scheduling, travel and research are the obvious audience. The author's point is that help once reserved for people with assistants may now be within reach of anyone willing to try these tools.

What is not known yet

The full article was not available for this report. That means the names of the 12 agents, how they ranked, what they cost and where they failed are not covered here. The other tasks the agents handled during the week are also unclear.

What to do

Start small. Pick a low-risk errand and check the result yourself before handing over anything involving money, private data or tight deadlines.

• Choose a task where a mistake is cheap, such as researching train times.
• Review any booking before it is paid for or confirmed.
• Read the full Wonder Tools write-up to see which agents the author preferred.