A Simple Example of AI Agents in Action

I learned early on in my career that there is no such thing as perfect software. For decades, I've found different systems and apps limiting in small but critical ways. Out of the box, different tools often can't do exactly what my clients or I need them to do. As a result, I've had to create a variety of workarounds over the years—some of which have lasted far longer than I anticipated.

In today's post, I'll describe one of the most fascinating and powerful aspects of agentic AI: the ability to overcome a software product's core limitations.

The Fleas No Longer Come With the Dog

Notion's native automations are ridiculously useful. I use them with all my clients, but they cannot trigger other automations. Evidently, it would cause a glitch in The Matrix.

Fortunately, there's been a quick, relatively simple fix for a long time:

1. Create an integration with a third-party tool. Zapier and Make.com are popular choices.
2. Link the new integration to the Notion database in question.

Voilà!

Pros and Cons

On one hand, as I write in Low-Code/No-Code, it's never been easier to get these tchotchkes to play nice with other apps. On the other, they add another layer of complexity—not to mention potential technical complications and licensing issues down the road.

Up until recently, most people accepted the limitation and went with the third-party tool. The fleas came with the dog.

The rise of AI agents, however, has changed the game.

For example, consider a simple recurring task. Notion lets you add them to existing databases according to set schedules (daily, hourly, or weekly). If a tree falls in a forest, though, would you hear it? Less abstractly, you need to use one of those third-party tools to alert you of that new task.

Thanks to Notion custom agents, those days are over.

Solving the Problem via AI Agents

Here's a test database after a Notion recurring task auto-populated it:

I had also created a simple notification. If another user added a task to that database, then Notion would notify me:

But here's the rub: That notification would not work on auto-generated recurring tasks without a third-party integration. Without one, I'd never know about the new task unless I manually checked that database. (Again, Notion notifications can't fire based on other notifications.)

To circumvent that limitation without a third-party integration, I created this simple Notion custom agent:

True to form, Notion dutifully alerted me of the new task at 4:15 pm my time:

Total time spent: maybe three minutes.

Technically, a native Notion notification did not trigger the notification. Rather, a Notion custom agent triggered the notification. The semantics don't matter to my clients. More important, I have solved their problem.

Notion Formulas Based on Attachments

Impossible? Think again.

Phil SimonPhil Simon

Simon Says

This is just one of many examples of how AI agents can be useful—and not just in Notion. Stay tuned. They're only becoming more useful. No, they're not perfect, but it's downright silly to ignore them.