Start with the task, not the product label. A manual edit, a spreadsheet formula or an ordinary search may solve it more directly than generated text.

If AI helps, distinguish how you interact from what the system can do. Chat is an interface for exchanging messages. An agent can choose and repeat steps using tools. An API integration lets software call a service. These can overlap: a chatbot may run an agent through APIs.

Choose a setup with appropriate evidence access, permissions, checking and cost. These are not three exclusive rungs that every AI product must climb.