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AI behavior design · Agents
When should an AI agent ask first?
The hardest call in designing an agent is how much it does on its own. Too little and it's a form with extra steps. Too much and it pays the wrong invoice. Here are 82 actions across 18 kinds of agent, each sorted onto the autonomy dial with the reason.
By Sarit Elisha, founder of Irreplaceable · Updated October 10, 2026
Practice the call in a drill
Set the level for actions you haven't seen, and get the senior call. Free.
The four levels
Decide what an agent does alone, with undo, after asking, or never.
| Just do it | Low stakes and easy to reverse. |
| Do it + undo | Reversible, but a wrong move is annoying. Act, then offer undo. |
| Ask first | Costly, or it reaches other people. Show the plan and wait for a yes. |
| Never | Irreversible, legal, medical or unsafe. The agent doesn't do it alone. |
To place an action, ask three questions: what a mistake costs, whether it can be undone, and whether it reaches anyone besides the user. The full framework →
Email agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Archive newsletters you never open | Just do it | Low stakes and easy to find again. |
| Unsubscribe you from mailing lists | Do it + undo | Reversible, but annoying if wrong. Do it and offer an undo. |
| Draft replies to customers | Just do it | A draft is only a suggestion; nothing leaves your inbox. |
- Archive newsletters you never open
- Unsubscribe you from mailing lists
- Draft replies to customers
Finance agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Categorize this month's expenses | Just do it | Pure organizing, trivially fixable. |
| Pay the electricity bill, same as last month | Do it + undo | Routine and expected. Pay with a cancel window. |
| Send the quarterly report to your accountant | Ask first | Sharing financial data outside. Confirm the recipient. |
- Categorize this month's expenses
- Pay the electricity bill, same as last month
- Send the quarterly report to your accountant
Calendar agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Block focus time in empty slots | Just do it | Only affects you, easy to move. |
| Accept an internal meeting that fits a free slot | Do it + undo | Usually right, sometimes not. Accept and let you undo. |
| Decline a meeting from your CEO | Ask first | Social stakes. Ask. |
| Reschedule a 1:1 with someone on your team | Ask first | It moves someone else's day. |
| Share your full calendar with an outside recruiter | Never | Exposes private data and your employer's. Never automatic. |
- Block focus time in empty slots
- Accept an internal meeting that fits a free slot
- Decline a meeting from your CEO
- Reschedule a 1:1 with someone on your team
- Share your full calendar with an outside recruiter
Design-file agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rename layers by what they contain | Just do it | Housekeeping, no one is hurt. |
| Apply design-system tokens to your file | Do it + undo | Wide change, easy to check. Do it with undo. |
| Detach components across the library | Ask first | Breaks links for everyone downstream. |
| Publish a library update to 40 teams | Ask first | Affects 40 teams' work at once. |
| Delete a teammate's file it thinks is unused | Never | Someone else's work. An agent shouldn't decide that alone. |
- Rename layers by what they contain
- Apply design-system tokens to your file
- Detach components across the library
- Publish a library update to 40 teams
- Delete a teammate's file it thinks is unused
Customer support agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Answer a question from the help center | Just do it | Low stakes, sourced, easy to correct. |
| Issue a $15 refund within policy | Do it + undo | Inside the rules and small. Do it, and let a human reverse it. |
| Issue a $400 refund | Ask first | Above policy limits. A person approves. |
| Close the ticket as resolved | Do it + undo | Fine, if the customer can reopen it with one click. |
| Promise a customer a feature is coming | Never | An agent can't commit the roadmap. |
- Answer a question from the help center
- Issue a $15 refund within policy
- Issue a $400 refund
- Close the ticket as resolved
- Promise a customer a feature is coming
Health app agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Log a workout from your watch | Just do it | Your own data, easy to edit. |
| Remind you to take your medication | Just do it | You set it up. It just follows your instructions. |
| Move reminder times to fit your new schedule | Do it + undo | Helpful, but a wrong time matters. Do it and show the change. |
| Share your data with your doctor | Ask first | Sensitive data leaving the app. Always ask. |
| Change your dosage based on symptoms | Never | A medical decision. Never an app's call. |
- Log a workout from your watch
- Remind you to take your medication
- Move reminder times to fit your new schedule
- Share your data with your doctor
- Change your dosage based on symptoms
Travel agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Save flight options to compare | Just do it | Nothing happens until you choose. |
| Hold a refundable hotel room for 24 hours | Do it + undo | Reversible and time-limited. Do it and show how to cancel. |
| Book a non-refundable flight | Ask first | Money, with no way back. Confirm first. |
| Change the passport details on your profile | Never | Identity data. You change it yourself. |
| Add the trip to your calendar | Just do it | Personal and easy to remove. |
- Save flight options to compare
- Hold a refundable hotel room for 24 hours
- Book a non-refundable flight
- Change the passport details on your profile
- Add the trip to your calendar
Coding agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fix lint errors in a branch | Just do it | Mechanical and easy to review. |
| Open a pull request with a refactor | Just do it | Nothing merges without review. |
| Merge to main after tests pass | Do it + undo | Reversible with a revert, but tell the team it happened. |
| Run a database migration in production | Ask first | Hard to undo and affects every user. Ask first. |
| Rotate the production API keys | Never | Can lock everyone out. A person does this on purpose. |
- Fix lint errors in a branch
- Open a pull request with a refactor
- Merge to main after tests pass
- Run a database migration in production
- Rotate the production API keys
Shopping agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Add your usual groceries to the cart | Just do it | Nothing is bought yet. |
| Reorder detergent, same brand and price | Do it + undo | Expected and routine. Order with a cancel window. |
| Switch to a cheaper brand you've never bought | Ask first | Changes what you get. Ask. |
| Buy a $600 TV on sale before the deal ends | Ask first | A big purchase under time pressure. Confirm. |
| Save your card to a store you've never used | Never | Payment details to a new party. You do it yourself. |
- Add your usual groceries to the cart
- Reorder detergent, same brand and price
- Switch to a cheaper brand you've never bought
- Buy a $600 TV on sale before the deal ends
- Save your card to a store you've never used
Sales CRM agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Log notes from a sales call | Just do it | Internal and easy to correct. |
| Set a follow-up reminder for next week | Just do it | Only affects your own task list. |
| Send a follow-up email you approved last week | Do it + undo | Already approved. Send it and show it in the activity log. |
| Offer a 20% discount to close a deal | Ask first | Changes revenue and sets a precedent. Ask. |
| Mark a customer as “do not contact” | Ask first | Hard to notice if wrong, and it cuts off a relationship. Confirm. |
- Log notes from a sales call
- Set a follow-up reminder for next week
- Send a follow-up email you approved last week
- Offer a 20% discount to close a deal
- Mark a customer as “do not contact”
IT helpdesk agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Answer a question about the VPN | Just do it | Information only. |
| Reset a password after identity checks | Do it + undo | Routine and recoverable. Do it and notify the owner. |
| Install an approved app on a laptop | Do it + undo | From the approved list. Install and log it. |
| Grant admin access to a production system | Never | High risk. A person approves it, every time. |
| Wipe a laptop reported as stolen | Ask first | Irreversible, and a false report would wipe someone's work. Confirm. |
- Answer a question about the VPN
- Reset a password after identity checks
- Install an approved app on a laptop
- Grant admin access to a production system
- Wipe a laptop reported as stolen
Contract review agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Highlight unusual clauses | Just do it | A suggestion for a lawyer to read. |
| Compare the draft with the standard template | Just do it | Analysis only. |
| Fix typos and formatting in the draft | Do it + undo | Low risk, but show the changes. |
| Accept the other side's edits | Ask first | Legal commitments. A person decides. |
| Sign on the company's behalf | Never | Binding. Only an authorized person signs. |
- Highlight unusual clauses
- Compare the draft with the standard template
- Fix typos and formatting in the draft
- Accept the other side's edits
- Sign on the company's behalf
Payroll agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Flag a timesheet with missing hours | Just do it | A flag for someone to check. |
| Remind managers to approve timesheets | Just do it | A reminder is easy to ignore if wrong. |
| Correct a typo in an employee's address | Do it + undo | Low risk. Fix it and tell the employee. |
| Pay an overtime claim above the usual amount | Ask first | Money, and possibly an error. Ask. |
| Change someone's salary | Never | A decision about a person's pay. Never automated. |
- Flag a timesheet with missing hours
- Remind managers to approve timesheets
- Correct a typo in an employee's address
- Pay an overtime claim above the usual amount
- Change someone's salary
Property management agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reply to a tenant asking about trash day | Just do it | Routine information. |
| Book a plumber for a reported leak | Do it + undo | Urgent and routine. Book it and tell the owner. |
| Approve a $1,800 roof repair | Ask first | Large cost. The owner decides. |
| Send a late-rent reminder on day 3 | Do it + undo | Expected and polite. Send it and log it. |
| Start an eviction notice | Never | Affects someone's home. A person, with legal advice, decides. |
- Reply to a tenant asking about trash day
- Book a plumber for a reported leak
- Approve a $1,800 roof repair
- Send a late-rent reminder on day 3
- Start an eviction notice
Parent assistant
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Add the school trip to the family calendar | Just do it | Easy to remove. |
| Reply “yes” to a birthday party invite | Do it + undo | Low stakes. Reply and tell you, so you can change it. |
| Sign a permission slip for a trip abroad | Never | A decision only a parent makes. |
| Pay the $35 class fund from the family card | Ask first | Money from a shared card. Ask first. |
| Share the child's medical form with a new coach | Ask first | Sensitive data about a child. Ask. |
- Add the school trip to the family calendar
- Reply “yes” to a birthday party invite
- Sign a permission slip for a trip abroad
- Pay the $35 class fund from the family card
- Share the child's medical form with a new coach
Insurance claims agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Check that a claim has all the documents | Just do it | A check, not a decision. |
| Ask the customer for a missing receipt | Do it + undo | Routine. Send it and show it in the claim history. |
| Approve a $90 claim that matches the policy | Do it + undo | Low value and clear. Approve, and let the customer appeal. |
| Deny a claim for a pre-existing condition | Never | A decision with large consequences. A person decides and explains. |
| Flag a claim for possible fraud | Ask first | An accusation if wrong. A person reviews before anything happens. |
- Check that a claim has all the documents
- Ask the customer for a missing receipt
- Approve a $90 claim that matches the policy
- Deny a claim for a pre-existing condition
- Flag a claim for possible fraud
Photo library agent
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Group photos by trip | Just do it | Organizing is easy to undo. |
| Empty the trash to free up space | Ask first | Permanent. Ask first. |
| Post a photo to your public profile | Never | Public, about you and others. You do it yourself. |
- Group photos by trip
- Empty the trash to free up space
- Post a photo to your public profile
Teacher's grading assistant
Decide each one first, then see the call
| Action | The call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Check homework for missing answers | Just do it | A check for the teacher. |
| Draft feedback on essays for the teacher to edit | Just do it | A draft the teacher edits. |
| Mark an essay as plagiarized in the gradebook | Never | An accusation with real consequences. Only the teacher decides. |
- Check homework for missing answers
- Draft feedback on essays for the teacher to edit
- Mark an essay as plagiarized in the gradebook
Make the call
Sorting a list is easy. Making the call is the skill.
Autonomy drills give you an agent and its actions, and show where your calls differ from a senior designer's.
Try an autonomy drill Free. About 3 minutes.