The Agent Did the Task Perfectly — It Was Just the Wrong Task: Reddit Debates Intent Mismatch
djgoel123 · reddit · 2026-11-13
Reddit user djgoel123 highlights an under-discussed agent failure mode: given an ambiguous request, the agent assumes, executes, and reports success — the workflow technically completed, but the customer never asked for that change.
He argues agents should distinguish information they can safely retrieve from decisions requiring clarification, and self-check before important actions: correct customer/account? unambiguous request? authorized? verifiable afterward? When unclear, one question beats confidently executing the wrong action.
Notably, more autonomy doesn't solve intent mismatch — better boundaries sometimes do. He asks teams how they test whether agents understood actual intent rather than just completing workflows.
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