🦄 Interruptible Agents
Anyone can build a chatbot, but the user experience is what truly sets it apart. Can you cancel a message? Can you queue commands while it's busy? How finely can you steer the agent? We'll explore these questions and code a solution together.
Project Details
Open in GitHubBuilding agents that users can guide, correct, and collaborate with in real-time to create more interactive and flexible AI experiences.
Video (1h30m)
Episode Summary
This week's 🦄 ai that works session was all about "Interruptible Agents"! We explored how to build agents that users can guide, correct, and collaborate with in real-time.
Most agents today are "fire-and-forget"you give them a task, and you wait. Interruptible agents let the user jump in, change direction, or provide feedback mid-task. This creates a much more interactive and flexible experience, turning the AI into a true partner.
We covered why this is such a game-changer for UX:
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From Black Box to Collaborator: Interruptible agents allow users to jump in, change direction, or provide feedback mid-task, creating a much more interactive and flexible experience that turns the AI into a true partner.
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Architecture Matters (Threading vs. Loop): Building this isn't magic. We dove into two main architectures: a simpler main loop that checks for user input between steps, and a more complex multi-threaded model that allows for true simultaneous operation. The choice depends entirely on your application's needs for responsiveness and complexity.
The One Thing to Remember
Don't use a framework. The nuances that you build by choosing an architecture is what gives your agent its identity. Own your own identity.
Key Takeaways
- Interruptible agents transform the user experience by enabling real-time collaboration and course correction
- Choose your architecture based on your needs: simple loop for straightforward cases, threading for true concurrent operation
- The implementation details and nuances of your chosen architecture give your agent its unique identity
- Building from scratch gives you control over the user experience that frameworks can't provide
Resources
- Session Recording
- Discord Community
- Sign up for the next session on Luma
Whiteboards
All Episodes
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