Seriously, They are Assistive Tech Buddies not AI Agents, so plz call them as such

Ryan YatesConsultant

Just a person in their 30's doing things in Tech & trying to break the stigma's around talking about Mental Health
    HillToDieOn Re-Initialise AI-Agents AssitiveTech AssitiveTechBuddies Agent47 Hitman James Bond kilasuit Agent-007 Agent-004 Build2025 Community

Seriously, They are #AssistiveTechBuddies not #AIAgents, so plz call them as such!

This is a Hill to die on because all AI, is a form of AT or Assistive Tech, just like all Automation technologies are too. So let’s use a proper term, unless you all dislike being lumped with those with disabilities who already need to use specialist Assistive Tech to help them live, whether or not it enables them to work or not.

I don’t mind sharing this term, as it’s already applicable to me, because technologies, like the internet & remote access technologies allow me to work on things like this blog, even if it doesn’t bring me a regular income that allows me to not only survive (which I am only just doing so) but to actually properly thrive too. Which is why I am all for proper reform of international welfare, and not the absolute 💩 nonsense the DWP has said they intend to throw our ways. Heck I spent time providing them feedback that they requested recently (as part of user studies anyone that has interacted with them can sign up to provide and help them “improve”) and well other than doing my best & succeeding not to explicitly say all of this is useless 💩 that you wouldn't need if you'd just do this instead like I've been trying ta tell you so hurry daF** up and do it please but nevertheless they got a clear enough message, that I hope was of use.

However, all this buzz about AI Agents is in many ways a bit of a pain really. As it’s taking much of the fun (even if some of that’s from the pains) out of building software, at least for me. I say that as software development is a mental challenge, much like snooker or chess is on you vs your opponent. It’s just a different mental challenge that’s all.

AI Agents aren’t like James Bond or things we associate as agents like Agent47 (aka Hitman & the influence for my kilasuit tag/handle/domain) & are much more like your buddy who you know can do well & may get it almost right the first time, but also they may need a holding hand in the process to do so.

Which Yanno, I’m not fraid to say that’s like how I am, Cos I knwo Imma gnoona make Mistakes here and there, just like these AI tools will.

Which thankfully is ok, and exactly how they should be, because we will always need Human Developers, but we aren’t replaceable in the same way as these, agents/buddies are. We also need much more to keep us going,

So lets please rename AI Agents to Assistive Tech Buddies or #ATB for short to call them for what they are, a technological buddy that can help us do more.

Because no one should associate an agent as someone that is of help to us on an individual level, for our in work tasks, as agents are like those at airports, scanning passports, or those in the “secret” services, and those that we deploy to watch over our computing infrastructure.

They aren’t our friends, and tooling like all the AI Agent persona’s are much more like our buddies than those of the likes of James Bond, Jason Bourne or Agent 47, to name a few.

So ya, lets please rename them. I know I’m never going to call them agents, because that just feels cold & that’s just not who I am. #

But then again I want Cortana to return to the Windows EcoSystem & also be a replacement for both Germini & Spiri, even if it as one of the many Co-Pilot persona’s, though Microsoft could use others like Master Chief or Marcus Fenix (Gears of War) or any of their back catalogue including Clippy or any of the older virtual helpers that Microsoft have released before.

But yeah, Imma not use the term AI Agents, no matter how hard this term is pushed on us. It just doesn’t sit right with me and as Peter Griffin would say, really grinds my gears.

kThnxBye - kilasuit m/mnaka (maybe/maybe not also known as) Agent 004

(bonus points 9PM - Till I Come by ATB is a banger of a track)

Update 28th May 03:35

So, in true “Imma Buddy” nature I realised this additional point (that 🔨🔨🔨 Home the difference between Agents & Buddies) that came to me in response to Merril sharing about a post from Alex Simons about why OAuth must Evolve for the future, much like the language must too.

It’s so true though, and whilst I can understand why the industry has chosen AI Agent over Assistive Tech Buddy, they aren’t currently operating anywhere the level of what an Agent Operates at.

We also in the longer term future must remember the age old phrase around accountability, because you and your buddies can and do share accountability, collectively, and even in the future, if these tools start producing other tools that they instruct to do a task, the original Developer and/or organisation that built them will always be accountable.

Closing

You and your buddies, are legally accountable, irrespective of the hats or hood’s you may wear.

Agents, they operate at a level were their individual accountability, often including their actual identity, is shrouded in mystery & as such, we should be much much more wary of the world where there are more agents, walking amongst us, hiding in the shadows, or right in front of us, there in plain sight.

Your buddy, may accidentally do you harm, but they’ll apologise and do what they can to make it up to you.

An Agent, however, will shoot to kill, and walk away, forgetting you ever existed.