Tool use is the ability of an AI model to call on outside tools or services while it answers you. These can include a search engine, a calculator, a calendar or a database. The model decides when a tool would help and what to send it, and the app you are using runs the request. For example, if you ask a chat assistant to find a free hour next week, it can check your calendar instead of guessing. Some vendors call this function calling.
Why it matters
Each tool you connect widens what the model can read, and sometimes what it can change. A model that can search your files could pull a private document into the wrong answer. A model that can send email or edit records could do real harm if it misreads a request or is tricked. Before you switch on a connection, ask the vendor which tools the model can reach, whether it can change things or only read them, and whether a person has to approve its actions first. Tool use is the building block behind an AI agent. It is often set up through the Model Context Protocol. Giving a model too many powerful tools can lead to excessive agency.
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