Why "managing agents" is the wrong mental model for AI workforces
Ali Miller argues that the term "managing agents" is already outdated. The framing implies you're a direct manager telling each agent what to do — "Suzy, go over there and Betty, go over there" — when in reality the right posture is three rungs above, like an SVP setting up infrastructure and then waiting for escalations. You're not delegating tasks; you're deciding what should or shouldn't happen at all. It's more of a liability role where you step in only for critical-thinking checkpoints. Anyone still talking about "managing agents" in a hands-on sense, she suggests, is already speaking early-2026 language.
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