If you’re following any AI developments in marketing, you’ve probably seen the word “agentic” floating around.

If you’ve said “that’s not a real word” and kept scrolling, let me help decode it using ChatGPT as my reference point.

On The Menu For This Week’s Tapas:

• [DISCOVERY] 💡 AI Agents > CustomGPTs
• [PODCAST] 🎓 AI Explored with Michael Stelzner
• [TOOL] 💻 Zapier AI Agents

Explaining ChatGPT's Features As Siblings

Base-level AI is the typical conversational AI model we’re all familiar with.

This is where you log into ChatGPT and start typing away. The simplest, most accessible AI feature that blew everyone away.

They’re the eldest sibling who paved the way. They changed everyone’s life, but still we gotta call out all their issues (hallucinations, anyone?).

CustomGPTs are the middle child.

In ChatGPT, select GPTs from the left menu. You'll see the entire GPT Store, plus the option to build your own CustomGPT in the top right.

CustomGPTs are underestimated, but we still have high expectations of them. The specific tasks CustomGPTs can take on makes them incredibly applicable for almost any use case. But, you have to toggle between tools to use it: The connectivity isn’t there.

Enter: AI Agents (or ‘Agentic’ AI)

AI Agents are the youngest AI child (for now). They make customGPTs even more powerful because they are the connective tissue between AI and the rest of the world.

AI Agents connect customGPTs to each other, to other software, and, when trained correctly, can even make decisions based on information. They're the ones in the family that make people say 'Oooh, you're AI Agent's older sibling!'.

Until now, this level of functionality was reserved for enterprises or developers who could custom build these solutions.

But Agentic AI is now in our hands, and the possibilities are… pretty great.

Here are two simple Agent templates I’ve seen that almost any business could use:

• Review a creative asset for brand compliance.
• ​Manage your inbox and sort the most pressing to-dos.

If you're like me, you're curious about putting this into action in your business, yet a little apprehensive about connecting every tool without human oversight.

(That's a great instinct, by the way.)

I keep a long list of tasks an AI Agent could handle for me. 95% of them are in operations and project management since that’s where I have the most room to grow. But I'm still building my first AI Agent, and many of the things I want to AI-ify aren't the tasks I should start with.

How I Decide What Tasks Are Right to AI-ify

• Pick a task you're already great at. You’ll spot mistakes fast and can refine instructions quickly. Configuring customGPTs and AI agents is an art in its own right. So delegating a task to an AI agent that you’re not proficient in is asking for frustration up front and questionable results down the line.
• Pull from your “idea parking lot.” You know the tasks you file under “to do one day”? Those are the perfect test tasks because they're impactful enough to put on a list, but not urgent enough to start.
• Test AI agents on routine internal operations. Weekly or monthly tasks give you enough repetition to learn what's good/bad, without the risk of an agent going rogue and creating tons of cleanup work.

My approach is to create several lite CustomGPTs that are ultra-specific instead of dumping everything into one “catch-all” chat. (Think: brand guidelines, copy editing, code review.)

Sure, it’s not glamorous, but the results need fewer edits...and that's the whole point! But how do you actually make these CustomGPTs talk to each other?

How To Build An AI Agent

There are plenty of tools you could use to build an AI agent, but only one I trust.

If you’ve ever asked me about automation, you know I always preach Zapier.

It’s the tool that makes any tech stack wayyy more agile with custom integrations and automations. So of course, I keep recommending it.

Now Zapier has a free AI Agent builder. They have a FAT LIBRARY of ready-to-use templates, blog resources, and an AI that helps you create agents just by describing what you want.

I don't believe AI should replace people. But for small teams trying to do more with fewer hands, this is a serious unlock.

It’s simple. It's powerful. And it's worth playing with. Test out Zapier here.​

If you don't wanna learn a new tool to play with AI, you can try using "Connectors" or "Operator" to get started.

I had my lightbulb moment around AI Agents while listening to Michael Stelzner’s AI Explored podcast.

Here are two episodes I've listened to on repeat:

• ​Creating AI Roles For Your Business​
• ​How AI Is Transforming Everything About Work​

Take a listen and let me know what you’re trying first. I’d love to know how your first tests go!

Your turn:

What would be the first task you’d hand off to an AI Agent?

Reply to tell me how you’re experimenting.