AI agents, generative AI systems that act autonomously to perform tasks, have repeatedly been promoted by tech companies as a ‘digital concierge’ capable of making purchases, booking travel, or scheduling meetings on behalf of the user, without requiring their constant input.

But new data suggests that this vision is in contrast to how people are actually using AI agents.

While these agents are good at booking hotels or handling rote chores, over 57 per cent of all agent activity in Perplexity’s Comet browser was focused on cognitive work, according to a new study released by Harvard University researchers in partnership with the AI search startup on Tuesday, December 9.

The study, which researchers claimed was the first large-scale effort to understand how people are using AI agents, f

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