A chatbot answers. An agent does the work.
Chatbot: "Here are 5 tips for researching your competitors."
Agent: goes to their websites, reads them and hands you a comparison table.
Most AI tools now have a research or agent mode. Look for "agent" or "research" in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Perplexity. Then try this:
"Research [3 competitors / 3 software tools]. For each one, find their pricing, their main offer and who they target. Put it in a table and tell me where the gaps are."
Watch what it does. You'll see it search, open pages and pull everything together without you.
Tip: double check anything important before you use it. Agents can still get facts wrong.
Run a business? Compare 3 competitors.
Work for a company? Compare 3 tools your team is considering.
Reply with one thing it found that surprised you.