Course 2 - Module 1 - Lesson 2
Plans, observations, tool use, memory, checkpoints, and stop buttons
What Makes an Agent an Agent
Keep the plan separate from the evidence
A plan describes intended actions; an observation records a result. If an agent plans to open a file, that does not mean it read the file successfully. Ask it to track completed steps with evidence and distinguish them from steps that are blocked or still waiting.
Tool use connects the plan to the outside world. A tool might read a folder, search records, or create a draft. Each result can include an error, missing information, or a partial success. The agent needs to inspect that result before moving on.
Memory and checkpoints serve different purposes
Memory is information retained for later use, such as your preferred report headings. It can become outdated, so important stored facts need a date or source. A checkpoint records a known stage in a job so work can be inspected or resumed.
Consider organizing ten fictional receipts. A checkpoint after reading five records can store which five were processed and their totals. If the job resumes, it should continue with the remaining records rather than counting the first five again. Keep the original receipts available for comparison.
Make interruption part of the design
A stop button needs operational meaning: stop scheduling new actions and report what has already happened. An action already sent to another service may still finish. Stopping an agent does not automatically undo a file change or retract a sent message.
Set a maximum number of steps and a deadline, and choose when a person should review progress. For the receipt job, pause before changing any accounting record. The final report should list completed items, outstanding items, and any effects that need attention.
Tiny experiment
Sketch a receipt-processing progress note with completed, blocked, and next fields. Add a checkpoint after five receipts and explain what happens when you press stop.
Confidence check
Which information should be remembered as a preference, and which belongs only to the current job's checkpoint?