Final answer:
Electronic agents are software applications that can perform tasks semi-independently, such as web crawlers, virtual assistants, and automated trading systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The autonomous computer programs that can be dispatched by the user to execute certain tasks are known as electronic agents. These software applications are designed to operate semi-independently or independently, initiating actions, or responding to events based on pre-configured rules or adaptive learning processes. Examples include web crawlers used by search engines, virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa, and automated trading systems in finance.