Agents need control flow, not more prompts (bsuh.bearblog.dev)

Article summary

The article argues that reliable agents tackling complex tasks need deterministic control flow encoded in software, rather than relying on increasingly elaborate prompt chains. This is because prompt chains are non-deterministic, weakly specified, and difficult to verify, making them unsuitable for complex tasks. The author suggests that logic should be moved out of prose and into runtime, with deterministic scaffolds and explicit state transitions. This approach would enable local reasoning and predictable behavior, making it possible to build reliable agents.

Main themes

• Deterministic control flow
• Limitations of prompt chains
• Reliability in complex tasks
• Software development with LLMs
• Non-determinism in AI systems

What commenters say

• Reliable agents cannot be built solely on non-deterministic LLMs, and deterministic control flow is necessary for complex tasks.
• LLMs can be used to write software that accomplishes tasks, rather than relying on them at runtime, to achieve reliability.
• The use of LLMs in software development is limited by their non-deterministic nature, and deterministic code is needed to ensure reliability.
• Some argue that LLMs can be trusted to follow instructions if properly constrained, while others believe that they are inherently untrustworthy.
• The future of software development may involve using LLMs to generate code at runtime, but this approach is not without its challenges and limitations.
• Deterministic control flow introduces limitations and potential bugs, and a balance must be struck between control and adaptability in AI systems.
• LLMs can be used as heuristics to adapt a deterministic system to dynamic situations, rather than relying on them as the primary control mechanism.
• The development of next-generation AIs that address the limitations of current LLMs is necessary to achieve reliable and trustworthy AI systems.