TOPIC OVERVIEW · SAFE AGENTS
Autonomy is trustworthy not because a system may do more, but because of a clear no.
Permissions, sandboxes, reviews and stop signals turn an impressive agent into one you can trust with responsibility.
// FOUR BUILDING BLOCKS
Boundary first, capability second
An agent is impressive when it acts rather than only answers. That is exactly why good design does not begin with the longest task list, but with a boundary: what may this system do in this situation, what effect may it cause—and when must it stop?
01 · PermissionsStart with the smallest useful permission; they grow with observed reliability.
02 · SandboxSample material, drafts, copies — a space where mistakes stay manageable.
03 · Review & noSmall hand-offs instead of yes/no at the end; define stop signals in advance.
CORE METHOD
The safety card
It connects task, allowed permissions, prohibitions, working space, review point and stop signal. This turns a general wish for safety into a testable way of working.
Describe the allowed effect, choose the smallest permission, bound the working space and state one review point with two stop signals.