{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,16]],"date-time":"2025-10-16T00:47:34Z","timestamp":1760575654716,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI)","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["AIES"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The term \u2018agent\u2019 in artificial intelligence has long\ncarried multiple interpretations across different\nsubfields. Recent developments in AI capabilities,\nparticularly in large language model systems, have\namplified this ambiguity, creating significant challenges\nin research communication, system evaluation and\nreproducibility, and policy development. This paper argues\nthat the term \u2018agent\u2019 requires redefinition. Drawing from\nhistorical analysis and contemporary usage patterns, we\npropose a framework that defines clear minimum requirements\nfor a system to be considered an agent while characterizing\nsystems along a multidimensional spectrum of environmental\ninteraction, learning and adaptation, autonomy, goal\ncomplexity, and temporal coherence. This approach provides\nprecise vocabulary for system description while preserving\nthe term\u2019s historically multifaceted nature. After\nexamining potential counterarguments and implementation\nchallenges, we provide specific recommendations for moving\nforward as a field, including suggestions for terminology\nstandardization and framework adoption. The proposed\napproach offers practical tools for improving research\nclarity and reproducibility while supporting more effective\npolicy development.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1609\/aies.v8i1.36558","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]],"date-time":"2025-10-15T13:19:30Z","timestamp":1760534370000},"page":"403-413","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Term \u2018Agent\u2019 Has Been Diluted Beyond Utility and Requires Redefinition"],"prefix":"10.1609","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Brinnae","family":"Bent","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"9382","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]]},"container-title":["Proceedings of the AAAI\/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/ojs.aaai.org\/index.php\/AIES\/article\/download\/36558\/38696","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/ojs.aaai.org\/index.php\/AIES\/article\/download\/36558\/38696","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]],"date-time":"2025-10-15T13:19:30Z","timestamp":1760534370000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ojs.aaai.org\/index.php\/AIES\/article\/view\/36558"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1609\/aies.v8i1.36558","relation":{},"ISSN":["3065-8365"],"issn-type":[{"value":"3065-8365","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]]}}}