AI agents ·
From chat to agent: what actually changes?
An agent can act on your project. Give it a task with a clear outcome.
CONSTELLO & BIDAR
From advice to action
A chat suggests answers; an agent can use tools across several steps. In VS Code, tools can edit files and run commands with permission controls. The useful difference is the ability to act on a result, not simply write a longer answer.
Define an outcome
“Improve my app” leaves too much open. Try: “Add a date filter to this list, preserve existing filters and check the mobile layout.” Specify the change, the constraints and what success looks like.
Keep the first task small
Start with a form or reproducible defect. Describe observed and expected behaviour, and relevant files when known. Limited scope makes changes easier to review and failures easier to isolate.
Keep evidence
Our advice: use a branch, review differences and run appropriate checks. A success claim is not a test. Compare models on the same task rather than comparing answers to unrelated questions.