This month, Apple’s Siri celebrates 15 years of assisting iPhone users in completing tasks like calling friends, finding information online and scheduling calendar events. Upon her debut in the iOS app store in 2010, the tool was revolutionary. Today, Siri can count herself part of a cohort of digital and AI assistants, agents and companions. What was once a novelty has now become commonplace, and nearly every news cycle brings an announcement about a new arrival to the virtual friend party.
But what differentiates them all? How does an AI agent differ from a virtual companion, and what can a digital assistant really accomplish?
What even is AI?
Before we dive into all the AI helpers joining the new digital workforce, let’s take a moment to consider the different kinds of AI that are out there.
Most of us nowadays are familiar with generative AI, the kind that requires user input to create something net new. With this kind of artificial intelligence, a prompt is used to create text, audio, video or image-based outputs, like essays, voiceovers, infographics or short clips.
The other kind, sometimes referred to as agentic AI, doesn’t require frequent prompting. Agentic artificial intelligence is context-aware, meaning it’s been trained on the necessary information to operate on a high level in a given environment. It might not know all the facts that a generative AI chatbot does, but it doesn’t need virtual hand-holding to produce results.
AI assistants: The doers
Let’s start with AI assistants. They were developed to be human-centric and task-oriented, helping users boost productivity. They’re an interactive partner that responds to direct commands and prompts to assist users, hence the name.
Siri, along with Amazon’s Alexa, falls into this category of digital helpers. These virtual voices – whose original iterations were female but which can now be adjusted to the voice of a user’s choosing – can handle administrative duties, like setting reminders, managing emails, playing music or ordering products online. These AI assistants can perform research, gather information and synthesize it to provide timely answers to a broad variety of questions.
These tools are largely consumer-focused, but not always. More technologically adept AI assistants can be integrated into business workflows to streamline complex processes. Project managers might use an AI assistant integrated into a platform like Asana or Jira to coordinate team schedules and generate weekly reports.
You can think of an AI assistant as an approachable introduction to a digital coworker. They’re obedient, doing what you tell them to and nothing that you don’t. They’re there to help move things along smoothly and are reliable, trustworthy partners,
AI agents: The deciders
Next up are AI agents. These perform some similar functions to AI assistants, but they’re more robust in their capabilities and differ significantly in that they can operate independently. That is, they don’t require a human to prompt, command or otherwise prod them to complete an assignment.
While AI assistants are task-driven, agents are goal-driven. They don’t need to be told what to do, but instead can perceive their environment, make decisions and take actions without human intervention to arrive at a desired result.
These virtual colleagues can execute complex, multi-step tasks independently, so long as they’ve been informed of a set objective to be achieved. They can be leveraged to monitor systems and make real-time adjustments based on external factors. This level of agility makes AI agents an attractive offering in the cybersecurity field. In this setting, an AI agent might be trained on a robust set of data regarding cyber threats and appropriate responses to take. If an abnormality is observed, the agent can identify it, neutralize it and take appropriate responses to ensure the system it’s protecting maintains the optimal level of security thereafter.
Virtual companions: The all-in-one industrial solution
Then there’s the virtual companion. Despite its friendly name, this type of digital assistant isn’t just a buddy: it’s a tool for business and industry innovation. At Dassault Systèmes, virtual companions are AI-driven solutions that can assist in complex tasks, preserve confidentiality and enhance efficiency, all while providing a human-like interaction.
Dassault Systèmes’ virtual companions provide context-aware task assistance and are natively integrated into the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, similar to some other available solutions. Because they’re built into the platform, these companions speak the same language as other Dassault Systèmes software offerings. That’s because they aren’t just there to complete simple tasks. In the future, virtual companions will be able to manage complex processes end-to-end, removing barriers to otherwise highly technical tasks. The efficiency that will be gleaned when a virtual companion can autonomously design, model and simulate tests on 3D renderings of products is difficult to conceive of now. The potential for optimized workflows is practically limitless.
In fact, the virtual companion is perhaps the most adept AI coworker of the 21st century. Unlike other offerings, it can be trained entirely on a company’s proprietary information while still “living” within a confidential, secure environment. The responsibilities our companions are capable of handling aren’t limited to the small and simple: they’re taking part in massive projects geared toward innovation in aerospace, manufacturing, consumer product simulation, sustainable design and more.
You might be wondering why, in a world of agents and assistants, did we choose the word “companion?” There’s some important cultural context here. In France, the term “companion” refers to the foremost expert in a given field. Historically, companions were those individuals skilled in craftsmanship, metalwork and masonry, and were tasked with building many of the country’s famed cathedrals. Given this context, it makes perfect sense why the digital assistants guiding users through complex processes in modeling and simulation would be deemed “virtual companions.”
The future is a collaborative ecosystem
From assistants to agents to companions and even beyond, digital friends are fast becoming partners in the way we go through life. Whether it’s scheduling a meeting or adjusting product lifecycle management contingencies, these technologies can get the job done.
Relegating rudimentary tasks to digital companions frees up necessary time for office, factory and other workers. Even the most seemingly minute chores can be handled by a highly competent AI assistant. Those minutes and hours add up, and for industries creative and technical alike, that time saved can be a boon for innovation.
Digital assistants have become indispensable tools in modern workplaces, driving efficiency and unlocking new opportunities for growth. By taking on repetitive and low-priority tasks, these AI-powered technologies allow employees to focus on higher-value activities that require critical thinking, creativity and decision-making. By becoming a thought partner in larger, more complex tasks, they’re adding a layer of unbeatable intelligence and security to mission-critical operations.
These tools enable companies to enhance customer experiences, improve process transparency, and drive operational efficiency. By integrating the right digital assistants – or virtual companions – into their operations, businesses can achieve measurable results, staying ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape. The future of work is inseparable from the continued development of these AI companions, making them a critical component of success in the digital age.
The main function of an AI assistant is to receive voice or text commands from a user and perform specific tasks, such as scheduling, research, or device control.
Yes, AI agents are designed to be autonomous. Once given a goal, they can make decisions and execute multi-step tasks without needing human intervention for every action.
The name stems from the French historical context of a “companion” being a master craftsman or expert. It signifies that the AI is not just a servant, but a skilled partner in complex industrial processes.
Not necessarily. While many AI assistants use chatbot interfaces, an AI assistant is generally defined by its ability to perform actions (like scheduling or controlling smart home devices), whereas a simple chatbot may only be able to converse.
Shoshana is a Senior Communications Manager on the Corporate Publishing team here at Dassault Systèmes. With experience in journalism, marketing, and PR, her work has been published around the world and across the internet.