A field guide to AI positions

AI agents & deployed systems

System design.

Publication dates and source age

Sources counted: 3

Newest dated source: 2026-08-20

At least one source was published within the 18-month window.

Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.

Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.

Open in the glossary Reading notes · Structured record

Prepared with AI assistance. Not independently fact-checked. Original sources and qualifications are below.

In plain language

Applications that use an AI model to choose steps and request tools, with some tasks proceeding without approval at every step. [1] [2]

Reference this explanation or suggest a correction

Explanation based on the linked sources. Claim ID: claim-term-agents-1a5192ba3d7825ca26b24a72. Edition 0.20.0.

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Limits & distinctions

The same model can sit inside differently constrained applications. Assess the deployed configuration and oversight; the model name alone does not describe them. [2]

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Explanation based on the linked sources. Claim ID: claim-term-agents-09422ce4d5c74cb753a9bb98. Edition 0.20.0.

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A fuller explanation

An LLM agent typically repeats a software loop: run the model, handle a requested tool action, then return the result. The surrounding application determines which tools are connected and whether approval is required. [1] [3]

Reference this explanation or suggest a correction

Explanation based on the linked sources. Claim ID: claim-term-agents-1e4c26398ee834b2e16dc7b8. Edition 0.20.0.

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How it relates to the map

Autonomy, connected systems and permitted actions add dimensions beyond this map's pace and concern axes. [2]

Reference this explanation or suggest a correction

Editorial interpretation or qualification. Claim ID: claim-term-agents-25f52a21ad9f2e54a62ed1b2. Edition 0.20.0.

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https://theaiatlas.org/ideas/agents/

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Sources and what we read

  1. 1. LLM06:2025 Excessive Agency

    OWASP Gen AI Security Project · First-hand source · Published date unavailable · Material last read 2026-09-15

    Publication dates and source age

    Sources counted: 1

    Publication dates are unavailable.

    Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

    Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.

    Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.

    Read scope is described in the source note.

    No archive check recorded.

    Read agency definition, excessive functionality/permissions/autonomy, external authorization, approvals and monitoring limits. The 2025 label identifies the edition; the page does not establish its original publication date.

    Source ID: owasp-excessive-agency

  2. 2. Managing the cyber risk of agentic AI

    UK National Cyber Security Centre · First-hand source · Published 2026-08-20 · Material last read 2026-09-15

    Publication dates and source age

    Sources counted: 1

    Newest dated source: 2026-08-20

    At least one source was published within the 18-month window.

    Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

    Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.

    Read scope is described in the source note.

    No archive check recorded.

    Read autonomy, model safeguards, oversight, sandbox boundaries, network and credential restrictions, observability and emergency response. The publisher labels this interim practical advice based on its research; formal guidance may supersede it.

    Source ID: ncsc-agentic-risk

  3. 3. Tool use

    Hugging Face Transformers documentation · First-hand source · Published date unavailable · Material last read 2026-09-15

    Publication dates and source age

    Sources counted: 1

    Publication dates are unavailable.

    Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

    Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.

    Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.

    Read scope is described in the source note.

    No archive check recorded.

    Read tool descriptions, model-generated call requests, application execution and returning results to the chat. Example functions were not run. Used for the separation between requesting and executing an action; live page publication date unspecified.

    Source ID: hf-tool-use

Edition and machine-readable evidence

Content version 0.20.0. Evidence cutoff 2026-09-15; this does not mean every source was read on that day.

Pinned complete dataset · Complete evidence page · Agent consumption guide