Agent safety is two problems: stopping actions and proving they worked
MediaPositive4282 · reddit · 2026-07-21
The author argues that agent safety is often conflated into two separate problems: preventing the action and verifying the outcome. ## Prevention If the model does not hold the credential, and the executor cannot be persuaded, side effects are structurally blocked rather than merely discouraged by prompts. ## Verification Even if an action was authorized and executed, the system still needs an independent source of truth to confirm that the intended state actually happened in the external world. ## Practical takeaway - Store pointers such as commit SHAs, row IDs, receipts, or destination paths instead of vague claims like “updated successfully.” - Verify by reading back from the destination system and diffing against the proposal. - Track non-execution separately, because no action means neither prevention nor verification can detect it. The post’s main warning is that many systems invest in enforcement but neglect the dull, usually more expensive verification layer.
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