Asking vs Delegating AI Agents

Most developers use AI like a smarter version of Stack Overflow.

You type a question. You get an answer. Then you do the work yourself. This method is slow.

There is a faster way. You must stop asking and start delegating.

When you ask an AI: "How do I write tests for my auth module?" You get an explanation. You still write the tests. You still do the work.

When you delegate to an AI agent: "Write tests for /src/auth.py. Cover login, logout, and invalid token cases. Run them. If they fail, fix the code until they pass. Tell me what you changed."

The agent opens your files. It writes the tests. It runs them. It reads the failures. It fixes the code. It brings you a working test suite.

You review the result. You did not do the work.

Effective delegation needs four parts:

  • Goal: What should the agent produce?
  • Scope: Which files or areas should it touch?
  • Success condition: How do we know it is done correctly?
  • Report back: What did it change and why?

Practical examples:

Debugging: "Find the root cause of this error and the stack trace. Fix it and explain the break."

Refactoring: "Refactor this file. Use a maximum of two nesting levels. No function longer than 30 lines. Update every call site."

Database migration: "Write an idempotent migration script for this schema change. Run it against a local database to confirm it succeeds."

Reviewing: "Read this PR diff. Find anything that could fail in production. Write the tests I missed."

Agents are fast. They are also wrong sometimes. Use these three checks to verify their work:

  1. Did it solve the problem? Run the code. Do not just read it. Execute the tests. Running code is the only way to find edge case failures.

  2. Does it fit your codebase? The agent does not know your team conventions. Scan the output for unusual patterns or libraries your team avoids.

  3. Did it change things outside the scope? Check which files the agent touched. Read the diff like a PR from a junior developer. Ensure it did not break things while being helpful.

Your job shifts from doing the work to defining the goal and reviewing the result. You provide judgment. The agent provides speed.

Source: https://dev.to/omerberatsezer/asking-vs-delegating-agents-43ii

Optional learning community: https://t.me/GyaanSetuAi