Tehiskliendil

Tehiskliendil is a term in Estonian referring to an artificial client, i.e., a software agent engineered to act as a client in a networked environment. The term combines tehis- 'artificial' and kliendil, a form of 'client' used in Estonian to indicate position or role. It is used in discussions about automation, AI, and software testing.

A tehiskliendil may be autonomous or semi-autonomous, designed to simulate human user behavior or interact with services via APIs. It can perform tasks such as navigating websites, placing orders, submitting forms, or issuing API calls, often following predefined scenarios or learned patterns. It can be distinguished from a chatbot by its role as a client rather than a conversational interface, though the lines can blur.

Applications include load testing, usability research, API contract testing, and data collection where synthetic user traces are needed. In research contexts, tehiskliendil are used to study system performance, resilience, or user flows under controlled conditions. In production, such agents are employed for monitoring, automated purchasing, or service-by-service interaction.

Ethical and legal considerations include transparency about automated participation, consent of target users, privacy protection, and compliance with terms of service. There is also the risk of abuse, such as fraud or deception, if tehiskliendil masquerade as real clients. Best practices emphasize clear labeling, withdrawal options, rate limiting, and robust security controls.

See also: artificial intelligence, bots, automated testing, synthetic data, digital twin.