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Previous episode Subagents: why an AI agent hands work to another agent

How AI agents work: an AI that can only write, and still gets things done

Why AI agents get stuck repeating the same step

An AI agent gets an error. It tries again and gets the same error, again and again. This can happen on a small job, like adding one event to a calendar. Why does the agent not see that it repeats the same step?

  1. 1 The model asks the calendar tool to add the bus trip on Sunday morning. The tool answers with an error: date not understood.the modelrequesttool: calendaradd: bus to the parkday: Sunday morningthe appresulterror: datenot understood

    The model asks the calendar tool to add the bus trip on Sunday morning. The tool answers with an error: date not understood.

  2. 2 An error is a result like any other. The model reads it and asks again, with "Sunday morning" written the same way. Same error.resulterror: datenot understoodthe modelLet meask again.requesttool: calendaradd: bus to the parkday: Sunday morningresulterror: datenot understood

    An error is a result like any other. The model reads it and asks again, with "Sunday morning" written the same way. Same error.

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