Build agents, not pipelines
2 days ago
- The article contrasts two approaches for using LLMs in software: pipelines (control flow in code) and agents (LLM manages control flow via tools).
- Pipelines are more predictable and cost-effective, while agents offer greater flexibility and intelligence for complex tasks.
- Agents are preferred for hard problems like code generation, as they can autonomously gather context via tools like grep and read file.
- The text advises using pipelines for strict context size or cost requirements, and agents when unsure about assembling all relevant context.
- Key examples include using agents for coding assistance and combining both approaches for large-scale tasks like email surveillance.