# Four tips for getting started with AI agents > Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic and others are racing to build consumer-friendly AI agents. Here's how to pick the right ones for your life. - Title: Four tips for getting started with AI agents · Fastcompany - Summary: Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic and others are racing to build consumer-friendly AI agents. Here's how to pick the right ones for your life. As AI agents from major… - Keywords: ai agents, agentic ai, openai, meta, anthropic, consumer ai, artificial intelligence, Four, tips, getting, started, agents - Source: Fastcompany — https://fastcompany.com/91632237/4-tips-get-started-consumer-friendly-ai-agents - Read time: 3 min - Topics: ai agents, agentic ai, openai, meta, anthropic, consumer ai, artificial intelligence ## AI agents go mainstream Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic and other companies are competing in the growing market for consumer-friendly AI agents designed to handle tasks from buying groceries to managing to-do lists. ## The agent problem For anyone getting started, understanding the differences between various AI agent offerings and which suits specific tasks can be overwhelming. Each company's agent has different strengths and availability. ## Use multiple agents Experts recommend using a stack of agents from different AI labs rather than relying on one. > there's not one holy grail-like agent right now that could do everything ## Why stacking works Clara Gigling, founder of Oudae Labs, uses multiple agents as a system of checks and balances. One agent does the work while another critiques it, helping them find mistakes, correct themselves and become better. > What I like to do is to have this system of checks and balances in place where one agent does the work and then I let the other one critique and criticize it ## Claude Duet targets professionals Anthropic built Claude Duet for professionals and small business owners with more on their plates than they can track. It aims to work like a colleague or chief of staff. > professionals and small business owners with more on their plates than they can track ## Meta's Muse for personal life Meta's Muse helps with tasks from saving money and improving your health to smart shopping and helping you strengthen your relationships. It functions more like a personal assistant. > saving money and improving your health to smart shopping and helping you strengthen your relationships ## Other major agents OpenAI's Dots and xAI's Grok Bot aim to be like a colleague or chief of staff. Instinct, from startup Spear Street Technology, works as a personal assistant for tedious emails and booking reservations. ## Artigas's recommendations Jose Artigas recommends Claude Duet for side hustles or launching a business, Dots as a debugger for specialized technical work, and Instinct for tedious emails or booking travel plans. ## Start with Muse For a novice, Artigas suggests Muse as a good starting point because it's very user-friendly with many prompts early on to give people ideas of how they can use it. > very user-friendly ## Test before committing Your preferences for how you interact with an agent, how it communicates and your assessment of its work quality should all factor into which agents you use and which tasks you assign. ## Start with one task Clara Gigling recommends thinking about tasks you consistently do and choosing some to delegate to agents. Be specific, giving the agent a detailed goal and required context and tools. ## Pick an annoying task Jose Artigas suggests starting with one annoying, repeated thing you keep putting off, but it must be an online task. > Start with one annoying, repeated thing that you keep putting off ## Experience matters Jose Artigas says you just have to experience the different agents and see what works best for you. Trial and error is part of the process of finding your preferences. > You just have to experience the different agents and see what works best ## Agents need your data For an agent to handle routine tasks or act proactively, it needs access to your inbox, calendar, personal identification, credit card number and bank account. This has raised significant privacy concerns. ## Be mindful with data Clara Gigling says curiosity is a great starting point for trying agents, but it's also important to be mindful when sharing private information with them. > be mindful when sharing private information ## Privacy protections exist Many companies offering consumer-facing agents have addressed privacy concerns with policies outlining how agents operate on dedicated cloud computers and how users can control memory retention. ## Key takeaway As AI agents from major companies gain popularity for handling personal and work tasks, experts recommend using multiple agents, testing them on specific jobs, and carefully managing what personal information you share.