AI agents are best used as co-pilots: they reduce busywork, propose next steps, and escalate edge cases. They break when they are given unchecked permissions or unclear objectives.
High-value uses
- Intake triage: classify, route, and suggest next actions.
- Summarization: meetings, tickets, long emails.
- Drafting: client updates, SOPs, handover notes.
Where agents fail
- Ambiguous instructions.
- No “stop conditions” (they keep trying).
- No human approval for irreversible actions.
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Sources:
- OpenAI Safety best practices: https://platform.openai.com/docs
