AI Systems · Software and Coding
Agents and Tool Use
An AI agent is a software system that pursues a scoped objective through a sequence of steps, sometimes using models, retrieval, tools, rules, and human input. A tool extends what the system can observe or do. Tool availability does not provide intent, permission, or proof that the result is correct.
Sources & review
Evidence and review
How Atlas supports this record.
Atlas uses original Kinesema wording. These public sources support narrow parts of the record; they are not endorsements or proof of claims outside the roles shown below.
- Review
- Human reviewed
- AI assistance
- Yes—human reviewed
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-23
AI Agent Standards Initiative
National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Used here for
- NIST describes agent systems capable of autonomous actions on behalf of users and identifies interoperability, security, authentication, identity, and human-agent interaction as active concerns.
- Source use
- Paraphrased from source
- Source type
- official emerging standards and research initiative overview
Lessons Learned from the Consortium: Tool Use in Agent Systems
National Institute of Standards and Technology and AI Safety Institute Consortium
- Used here for
- Current agent systems may embed general-purpose models in wider software scaffolding that uses tools; tool use can be examined by function, permissions, environment, risk, reliability, monitoring, and autonomy.
- Source use
- Paraphrased from source
- Source type
- official workshop findings and preliminary taxonomy discussion
Tools — Model Context Protocol Specification 2025-11-25
Model Context Protocol project
- Used here for
- MCP provides one concrete interface in which servers expose named tools with schemas, clients invoke them, and human denial and untrusted metadata remain explicit.
- Source use
- Paraphrased from source
- Source type
- official stable protocol specification
Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0)
National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Used here for
- Wider AI-system and deployment context, lifecycle evaluation, human and organizational roles, and the need to test and monitor system behavior and interpret outputs in context.
- Source use
- Paraphrased from source
- Source type
- official government risk-management framework; version 1.0; published 2023
This is a concise first-release record, not a complete course. Examples, terminology, and reviewed connections can grow through later public projections.
Follow the structure
Connected concepts
These are reviewed Atlas relationships, not suggestions inferred from page order or visual proximity. Open a boundary only when you want the extra detail.
Connects to
Retrieval and Evaluation
An agent may use retrieval to obtain material and evaluation to compare behavior or outcomes with a stated goal, policy, or expectation.
Connection boundary
Retrieving material or passing an evaluation does not grant permission to act, validate every tool result, or replace human review.
Connected from
Computing and AI Systems
An agent is a wider software-system role that may coordinate models, retrieval, tools, rules, and human input within a computing environment.
Connection boundary
This relationship does not make every AI system an agent or give an agent authority merely because a capability is available.