Free AI foundations · Lesson 10 of 12
Build a workflow with clear approval points
Describe what an agent may do and where it must stop.
Understand
A workflow breaks a goal into steps with defined inputs and outputs. A bot often responds to a request. An agent can pursue a goal through multiple steps, sometimes choosing and using connected tools. Labels vary: inspect the actual permissions and behavior. A text-only draft is not evidence of a sent email, booked meeting or updated record.
Retrieval-augmented generation, or RAG, supplies relevant material to a model before it answers. It can improve grounding but does not guarantee correct selection or interpretation. Fine-tuning changes a model’s parameters using additional training examples; it is different from providing a document in a prompt. Neither replaces permissions or factual checks. Coding, retrieval systems and connected-agent deployment are outside this beginner practice series.
Define the permitted sources, tool actions, cost limit, approval gates and failure behavior. Give only the access needed. Record whether an action is proposed, approved, attempted or confirmed. After an interruption, check the action record before repeating a send or purchase. Set a stop condition when evidence or authorization is missing. Human oversight must be a real checkpoint, not just a sentence in a prompt.
Try it in your life or work
Personal practice
On paper, design a weekly planning agent: which calendar information would it need, what could it suggest, and which changes require approval? Do not connect an account.
Business practice
Map inquiry → draft → fact check → human approval → send → receipt. Assign responsibility for each step. Describe how to avoid resending a message after an interruption. Keep this a design exercise.
Keep: An agent task card listing goal, allowed inputs, forbidden actions, approval points and stop rules.
Use fictional or non-sensitive information. Written practice does not require an AI account. The live demos are optional; other tools have their own terms and costs.
Show the answer and explanation
A claim requiring verification; do not blindly resend.. A generated statement is not an action receipt. Verify state before retrying to prevent duplicates.
This is a self-check, not a scored certification. Answers and exercise notes are not submitted to AstraCruz.