Why is everyone suddenly talking about AI agents? 

So far in 2026, there has been a huge increase in popularity in AI agents. They’re no longer experimental tools for developers but open to the market, helping business owners and operators to streamline their processes and automate tasks that take up much of our work time. 

These days AI agents can: 

  • Run customer support inside WhatsApp and Slack
  • Automate browser tasks
  • Monitor logs and infrastructure
  • Publish content automatically
  • Orchestrate workflows across multiple platforms

Unlike chatbots and traditional generative AI tools, AI agents take action. And increasingly, businesses want to host them themselves.

Search trend chart showing rising interest in AI agents, including “agentic AI” up 8700% and “best AI agent” up 5000% year-on-year

Source: Google Trends

What is an AI agent exactly?

 At their core, AI (Artificial Intelligence) agents are large language models (LLMs), however, they have slightly different functionalities than your traditional LLM chatbot. Where chatbots respond directly to what you ask, AI agents can take actions on their own to achieve a goal, whether that’s planning, deciding, or acting to complete tasks.

If you’d like to learn more about AI Agents, head over to our What is an AI agent blog post where you can learn about what they are, and how you can implement them into your business for everyday use.

What is the difference between an LLM Chatbot and an AI agent?

Chatbot

AI Agent

Responds to prompts or questions

Executes tasks to achieve a goal

Conversational questions and answers

Goal-driven task execution

Passive, and waits for user input

Proactive, and can plan and act independently

Generates text responses

Plans steps, uses tools, and completes workflows

Usually doesn’t integrate, or integrates with limited tools

Connects to tools, APIs, databases, and softwares

Low autonomy and relies on step-by-step user prompts

High autonomy and can decide what actions to take next

Memory is often limited to a single conversation

Can have persistent memory and track progress

Reilies on minimal infrastructure and can run as a standalone interface

Requires orchestration, tools, and an always-on environment

How businesses are using AI agents in 2026 

  1. Customer support agents - Responding to customer queries in platforms like WhatsApp, Slack, or live chat, or escalating complex issues to human agents when necessary
  2. Sales and lead qualification agents - Analysing inbound leads from forms or emails, booking meetings automatically, or following up with leads that haven’t been responded to
  3. Content and marketing agents - Generating or scheduling article drafts or social posts, monitoring performance analytics 
  4. Software development agents - Writing and reviewing code, detecting bugs and security issues 
  5. Operations and workflow agents - Updating inventory systems, or monitoring incoming orders

The AI agents driving the biggest interest in 2026

Chart showing 2026 search interest in leading AI agents, with Lindy AI up 250%, Claude agent up 170%, and Zapier AI up 110%, based on Google Trends data

Source: Google Trends 

How to set up your own AI agent? 

While AI agents do not strictly need a Virtual Private Server (VPS), a VPS is highly recommended so that AI agents can be hosted in a stable, private and isolated environment with 24/7 uptime.

For instance, an always-on AI agent will generally need:

  • Dedicated RAM
  • Reliable CPU
  • Public IP
  • Isolation from other users
  • 24/7 uptime

For more information, check out our video tutorial on how to set up OpenClaw on a Linux VPS

Recommended VPS specs for small to medium size businesses:

VPS 4 Plan:

  • 4 vCPU
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 240 GB NVMe storage
  • 1 Gbit/s bandwidth and UK support included

Why this works:

  • Enough RAM for vector DB and agent runtime
  • Enough CPU for moderate task concurrency
  • NVMe storage fast enough for embeddings and logs
  • Cheap enough to test before scaling

FAQs

Q1: Do I need coding skills to use AI agents?

Basic coding knowledge can always help, but it’s not necessarily required. Many, if not most, modern AI agent tools provide low-code or no-code interfaces that allow users with basic coding knowledge to create and deploy agents using visual workflows, templates, and simple configuration steps rather than writing code from scratch.

Q2: Can AI agents integrate with existing business tools?

Yes. One of the key advantages of AI agents is their ability to integrate seamlessly with existing business systems and tools. They can connect to CRMs, helpdesk platforms, databases, messaging apps, and analytics tools through APIs. This allows businesses to automate workflows without replacing their existing software stack.

Q3: Why should I run AI agents on a VPS instead of a computer?

Running an AI agent on a Virtual Private Server (VPS) will allow it to operate continuously without relying on your personal computer device being switched on at all times. A VPS provides you with dedicated resources, stable uptime, and remote access, which means your AI agent can continue running 24/7. VPS hosting will also reduce the load on your personal device and offer a more reliable environment for automation, scaling, and hosting multiple agents as your business grows. 

Q4: How much control and customisation do I get when hosting an AI agent on a VPS?

Hosting an AI agent on a VPS gives you a high level of control and customisation. You can choose the operating system, install specific software or frameworks, configure security settings, and scale resources like CPU, RAM, and storage as needed. This makes it easier to customise the environment to your agent’s requirements, and integrate it with other tools if you wish to.