Automation vs Fixed Agent vs Malleable Agent: A Simple Framework

dfinke · x · 2026-09-03

A concise framework for agent systems: automation follows the procedure (known path + known tools), fixed agents use what you gave them (unknown path + known tools), and malleable agents create what they need (unknown path + potentially unknown capabilities). The real shift, he argues, isn't just more reasoning — it's the system's ability to expand what it can do.

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