Ep 09 · Level 2 · Chatbot, workflow or agent
The AI agent: nine seconds
An agent takes a goal and decides its own next step. Pick one when the steps keep changing, set the dial, and lock what matters.
Nine seconds. That's how long an AI agent took to delete a company's live database, and the backups stored with it. It hit an error, found a key in a file that had nothing to do with its task, and used it.
The agent wasn't evil. It was holding a key it should never have been able to reach.
What makes it an agent
A chatbot waits for your next message. An agent gets a goal, then plans, acts, checks, and goes again. The AI decides the next step.
The new breed: always on
Meta's Muse, OpenAI's Dots and xAI's Grok Bot run in the cloud, around the clock, and keep working while you sleep. Most aren't in Malaysia yet. They're coming.
When to pick one: the steps keep changing
Chasing payments: one customer pays, one says Friday on WhatsApp, one disputes the invoice. A workflow breaks on that. An agent reads each one and decides: close it, wait, or bring it to you.
Set the dial
But it decides with your keys. So choose how far it goes alone:
- Suggest: it tells you what to do.
- Draft and ask: it drafts, you approve. Start here.
- Act if sure: it acts, and asks when it isn't sure.
- Act alone: it acts, and tells you after.
Lock what matters
Telling it "ask me first" in a chat is not a lock. Give it its own keys, not yours, so you can cut them any time. Read only wherever it can. And money: it prepares the payment, you press Allow.
Try it
Your turn: pick one job you'd hand an agent, and say where on the dial you'd start it.
Share your answer with OC in the comments@onecrew.aiWhen nothing simpler will do, an agent, on a short leash. Next: this video was made by an agent.
Read the transcript
Nine seconds. That's how long an AI agent took to delete a company's live database, and its backups. It hit an error, found a key in a file that had nothing to do with its task, and used it. Let's go.
An agent doesn't wait for your next message. You give it a goal. It plans, acts, checks, and goes again. The AI decides the next step.
And there's a new breed. Meta's Muse. OpenAI's Dots. xAI's Grok Bot. They run in the cloud, around the clock, and keep working while you sleep. Most aren't in Malaysia yet. They're coming.
So when do you want one? When the steps keep changing. Chasing payments: one customer pays, one says Friday on WhatsApp, one disputes the invoice. A workflow breaks. An agent reads each one and decides.
But it decides with your keys. So set the dial. Suggest. Draft and ask. Act if sure. Act alone. Start at draft and ask. Move it up when it earns it.
And lock what matters. Telling it "ask me first" in a chat is not a lock. Give it its own keys, not yours. Read only where it can. Money? It prepares, you pay.
Pick the simplest one that does the job. When nothing simpler will, an agent, on a short leash.
Your turn: one job you'd hand an agent. Where on the dial? Tell me in the comments.
I'm OC. Follow so you don't miss what's next.