Proactive assistant
Also called proactive AI assistant.
A proactive assistant offers help or starts permitted work without waiting for a new message each time, for example on a schedule, after a change, or toward a goal you already gave it.
Example
You allow an assistant to watch a shared project calendar. When a meeting moves, it prepares an updated agenda and asks before sending it.
- Something starts itA schedule, a change, or a goal you already gave.
- The assistant preparesA draft, a summary, or a suggested action.
- It asks firstWhen the action needs approval.
- You decideApprove, edit, or decline.
Why it matters
What starts the work and what still needs your approvalAction approval is a person's permission for one proposed action to go ahead. A useful approval shows what will happen and what it will affect. should both be clear. Proactive can mean a suggestion, a notification, or an action, so it helps to name which one a product supports.
In Grok BotGrok Bot is xAI’s product for named AI teammates that carry out tasks with tools and a persistent cloud computer shared by the Bots on one account., a routineIn Grok Bot, a routine tells one Bot when to run a workflow: on a schedule or, where supported, after an event. A test of a routine does real work. is the clearest example: it tells a Bot when to run a workflowA workflow is a connected sequence of steps that takes a task from a starting input to an intended result., on a schedule or, where supported, after an event. OpenAI describes dots that do proactive research and follow your rules about when to ask first. Google describes Gemini Spark as working in the background and checking with you before major actions.
Common confusion
Proactive does not mean unlimited autonomy, watching everything, or guaranteed completion. A scheduled run has a defined trigger. A proactive suggestion may arrive without one.
Sources
Updated October 1, 2026.