Beginner article
The agent loop, for beginners
A plain-language view of how agents observe, choose an action, inspect the result, and repeat safely.
Plain meaning
What this means
An agent loop is a cycle: look at the state, choose an action, use a tool or produce output, inspect what happened, then decide the next step.
Why it matters
Why a beginner should care
The loop is what makes agents useful and risky. Each turn can compound progress or compound errors.
Small safe example
Try it safely
A coding agent reads a failing test, edits one file, reruns the test, and stops if the result is unclear.
First moves
The smallest useful path
Common mistake
What to avoid
Letting the loop continue without a clear success condition.
Guardrails
Keep these checks steady
- Use bounded actions.
- Log tool use.
- Require checks before continuing.
- Keep humans responsible for external effects.
Go deeper
When you want the full version
This beginner article gives you the practical starting point. The full AI Lab topic has the technical details, implementation notes, and deeper structure.