Agent Is Not the Model(code.joejag.com)
37 pointsby joejag3 hours ago5 comments
  • yaaaaam12 minutes ago
    An agent, in general, is just whatever carries out a task on behalf of someone/something else.
  • rwoerzan hour ago
    > An agent system is made up of several layers.

    Why "layers"? The constituents of a Multi-agent System (MAS) [1] are called "agents". BTW: Synecdochical semantic diffusion is not uncommon in software engineering

    [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-agent_system

    • yipinwong4 minutes ago
      Real-life usage of interchangeable or synecdochical word triumphs in real life.

      My take on the post is for engineering disciple where JoeJag wants to create a common word while tackling "Agent" issues.

      I like Joe's approach as this disambiguates during troubleshooting without trying to figure out under which "context" other engineers are using Agent vs. Models.

      You get lost in context just like AIs do without such disambiguation.

  • gustavusan hour ago
    Well first off if you ask Microsoft everything is Copilot.

    Secondly the confusion is designed to benefit the bull** by using ambiguous language they can do as humpty dumpty did in Alice in Wonderland and say "When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean. Neither more nor less" Which benefits whatever they are pushing.

    Beware those that attempt to muddle language and avoid precision in speaking.

  • llm_nerd10 minutes ago
    I've literally never heard anyone conflate an agent and a model. Ever.

    Often with posts like this I imagine someone had their own confusion and then somehow projected it on everyone else. Like Trump thinking people didn't know about the word groceries or that dumb ends with a b.

  • ericolan hour ago
    On other news, water wets.

    > I often hear people use the words agent and model interchangeably

    _what_ people. Would I hear one of my colleagues do this, I'll slap them across the face. With a 4 pounds salmon. Alive.

    > to help us have more precise conversations.

    What problem are you trying to solve. _Why_ you need more precise conversations. I mean, I understand what you aiming at. But is it really worth it to go nitpicking at people's mental models, is the gain worth it?

    • mickmister2 minutes ago
      > _what_ people.

      Eric from alignment and research at OpenAI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87DyyMV0kCY

      It honestly bothers me so much when he says "This new model has access to x". No, the harness you allowed it use at runtime has access to x.

    • teekertan hour ago
      Well, at least as an LLM provider you should use the right nomenclature. I just tried to sign up for Mistral. Who have Vibe (former le Chat), then they have Vibe Code, which is the same as Vibe for Code, is that like Claude Code? No, their harness is called Vibe Cli. So is Vibe Code a model? No, it is a "mode" for Vibe (the web interface). Not sure how it's different from "Chat" (the mode) but it forces you to use a project, there are no other differences it seems.

      No idea what the underlying model is for any of this. More over, I don't ever vibe code, I check and understand the code that is generated by my LLMs. And yet, I use Vibe Code (the product) all day.

      Lost the thread yet? I did... Tbh, it also took some time between Anthropic starting the push towards Claude Code and me understanding what is really was. Using terms interchangeably during this time of discovery is absolutely maddening. For Mistral it comes on top of their rename of services from "le Chat" and Mistral Code (still in parts of the UI) to Vibe and Vibe (for) Code.

    • yipinwong17 minutes ago
      You sound like a manager, not an engineer.
    • altmanaltman25 minutes ago
      Wait, your entire comment is on how one should not nitpick someone's mental models but isn't that you nitpicking at someone's mental models? sus
    • esafakan hour ago
      Totally the wrong site to post this on. Joe, don't you see that we talk about this stuff day in day out?
    • the_afan hour ago
      From TFA:

      > When you can name the layer, you can fix the layer. That is the whole point of being precise. It is not about being pedantic. It is about being able to improve things faster and more effectively.

      Also, for any given fact, tons of people aren't aware. Anything you already know is news to a sizeable number of people.

      Relevant xkcd: https://xkcd.com/1053/

      • ericolan hour ago
        I get your point, my 80 yo mother doesn't care.
        • the_af25 minutes ago
          I don't think the TFA has your 80 year old mother as its intended audience.
      • ericolan hour ago
        The irony that you sent an xkcd link to prove your point is not lost on me.

        > Also, for any given fact, tons of people aren't aware.

        Double points for Gryffindor.