EngineersofAI LogoCoursesBlogResearch LabAI LettersThe LabCode BankInteractive 3DKodrEarnestJobs
Skip to main content
Interactive 3D/Agent vs Workflow vs Chatbot
Task
Research & Write Report
Compile a technical report on a rapidly changing topic.
Chatbot
Single prompt → response
User Prompt
▼
LLM Generates Response
▼
Answer (static, may be stale)
Workflow
Fixed DAG, predetermined steps
Search Web
▼
Summarize Results
▼
Format Report
▼
Output
Agent
Dynamic loop, decides at runtime
Observe task
▼
Plan: which tools?
▼
Search / Read / Calculate (dynamic)
▼
Evaluate result, replan if needed
▼
Deliver report
↺ loops until done
Task Type
Show / Hide
Chatbot - no tools
Workflow - fixed DAG
Agent - dynamic loop
Key insight: Agents add a planning loop that workflows lack. They decide at runtime which tools to call and can recover from unexpected results.

Agent vs Workflow vs Chatbot - Interactive Visualization

Most engineers conflate chatbots, workflows, and agents - but they are fundamentally different architectures. A chatbot generates a single response with no tools. A workflow follows a fixed DAG of predetermined steps. An agent dynamically decides which tools to call at runtime, can replan when steps fail, and handles unexpected results. This visualization makes those differences concrete across three tasks: research, coding, and data analysis.

  • Three tasks: research report, code review and fix, data analysis - see how each architecture handles them
  • Toggle "failure scenario" to see what happens when a step fails in each approach
  • Toggle the differences table to compare decision-making, adaptability, tool use, and determinism
  • Agents add a planning loop that workflows lack - they decide at runtime which tools to call

Part of the EngineersOfAI Interactive 3D - free interactive visualizations covering every major concept in machine learning and AI engineering. Hover any element for a plain-English explanation. No code required.