What Is an Agent? The Loop That Changes Everything

The one-line definition that actually works — an LLM given tools, run in a loop, with a stopping condition — and the single property that separates agents from chatbots, workflows, and scripts: the model directs the control flow.

Lessons

  1. The loop: one definition that actually works
  2. Agent, chatbot, workflow, or script?
  3. The autonomy dial
  4. The system prompt is a job description
  5. Why agents fail — an honest preview