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The User Is Present: Why Smart Agents Still Don't Get You

TL;DR for operators Most agent demos show the easy part: the model calls a tool, gets results, and returns something plausible. The harder part is less cinematic. The user starts with an incomplete request, reveals constraints in fragments, phrases preferences indirectly, changes emphasis mid-conversation, and expects the system to somehow keep up. This is where many supposedly “smart” agents begin to look less like assistants and more like interns with excellent API access. ...

July 30, 2025 · 17 min · Zelina