An autonomous agent is an AI system capable of independently completing multi-step tasks by planning, executing, and self-correcting without human prompting at each step. Unlike completion-based tools that suggest the next line, autonomous agents accept a goal and work toward it through a series of decisions.
In software development, an autonomous coding agent can receive a task description, break it into implementation steps, write code, run tests, debug failures, and produce a pull request, all without a developer staying in the loop.
The degree of autonomy varies. Some agents require human approval at key decision points. Others, like Devin, aim for full end-to-end execution with minimal intervention.