What Tools Do AI Agents Use? A Guide to Enterprise Agentic AI

What is an AI Agent? Planning and Tool Use 

At the heart of agentic AI is the AI agent—a software application that uses natural language (generative AI) to interact, operate, and achieve objectives. What sets agents apart from simple assistants is their ability to plan (sometimes called reasoning) and use tools to take action in the real world. 

 Planning means that agents dynamically determine their own course of action, creating and executing workflows that are not predetermined. This means they can adapt, iterate, and optimize their approach in real time. 

 Tool use means that agents leverage a suite of tools to accomplish their goals. These tools extend the agent’s capabilities, allowing it to perform tasks it couldn’t do alone—such as searching databases, sending emails, or making calculations. 

Other characteristics of AI Agents 

• Autonomy: the ability to act independently, often triggered by human input 

• Memory: retention and recall of information for future interactions 

• Learning: the potential to self-improve through continuous learning 

Types of Tools AI Agents Will Use 

Enterprise AI agents use tools to dynamically plan and execute complex business tasks by accessing, retrieving, and acting on real-time data from across the organization. These tools—such as search engines, workflow automation, APIs, and domain-specific connectors—enable agents to automate processes like legal research, compliance tracking, customer support, and R&D knowledge discovery. By orchestrating multiple tools, agents can synthesize information, automate multi-step workflows, and deliver accurate, context-aware outcomes, driving measurable improvements in productivity, compliance, and decision-making across departments. 

The selection and use of tools is a defining feature of agentic AI. Tools extend agentic ability beyond simple information retrieval, allowing agents to dynamically plan and execute complex tasks based on business needs. Below are just some of the categories of ways that AI agents can leverage tools and examples of those tools: 

Categories of Tools for AI Agents

Modular AI Toolsets Will Require Increasing Investment 

As enterprises scale agentic AI, investing in modular, extensible toolsets become essential to ensure secure, governed, and future-proof deployments. Modular architectures enable seamless integration with diverse systems, support rapid innovation, and provide the observability and control needed to manage complex agent ecosystems. This investment is driven by the need for scalability, robust governance, and adaptability to evolving business and technology requirements, making modular toolsets a cornerstone of successful agentic AI strategies. 

• Scalability: Deploying additional agents or expanding capabilities is easier with modular tools—no need to recruit or retrain staff, just add servers or agents. 

• Flexibility: Modular toolsets allow agents to adapt to new tasks and integrate with evolving business systems. 

• Security: Fine-grained access controls and permission propagation across agents, tools, and users protect sensitive data and support regulatory requirements. 

• Governance: Extensible platforms support robust observability, traceability, and policy enforcement, critical for managing agent sprawl and compliance. 

• Multimodal Processing: Handling diverse data types (text, images, audio, video) requires specialized tools for enrichment and conversion. 

• Continuous Improvement: As business needs change, modular toolsets enable rapid iteration and enhancement of agent capabilities. 

Building the Future with Agentic AI Tools 

The journey to agentic AI is not just about smarter algorithms—it’s about empowering agents with the right tools to act, adapt, and deliver real business value. As organizations invest in modular AI toolsets, they unlock new levels of productivity, efficiency, and innovation. The future belongs to businesses that embrace agentic systems, build robust tool ecosystems, and trust their agents to drive outcomes. 

Start by mapping your use cases, cataloging the tools your agents will need, and investing in a flexible, secure platform that can grow with your ambitions.