Spotting a loop

Sometimes an agent gets stuck. It tries something, it does not work, it tries something very similar, and round it goes. This is normal. It happens to every model, and it is not a sign you asked badly. What matters is noticing early.

The signs

• The same fix is tried a third time.
• It says "fixed" or "done" and nothing has changed.
• It undoes something it did earlier, then does it again.
• Its answers get longer while saying less.
• It keeps apologising and promising to be more careful.

Why asking more firmly rarely helps

When you repeat yourself in capitals, the agent still sees the problem the same way. It still holds the same wrong belief about it, and the chat is now full of its failed attempts, which pull it back towards the same ideas. More pressure gives you the same answer, said with more apology.

Change something instead. A different model, a fresh chat, a smaller piece of the problem, or a question about what it is assuming. The rest of this course covers each one.

An example

Sam asks the agent to make a spreadsheet's totals match the bank statement. It changes a formula and says it is fixed. The totals still differ. Sam asks again. It changes a different formula, then changes the first one back. That is the moment to stop asking and change something.