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Pascual Vila

Frontend Instructor // Code Syllabus

Common Pitfalls & Errors

The Error //

Giving a backend AI agent unrestricted ability to take actions with no bound on iteration count or allowed tools

// Risky: no bounds at all
while (!taskComplete) { /* runs indefinitely, any tool, any action */ }

// Correct: explicit, essential bounds
const MAX_ITERATIONS = 10;
const ALLOWED_TOOLS = ["searchOrders"]; // read-only
// Consequential actions require explicit human approval

The Solution //

An unbounded agent is a genuine operational risk — it could loop indefinitely, consuming unbounded cost and time, or take a consequential action (like a financial transaction) without appropriate human oversight. Explicit bounds — a maximum iteration count, a restricted tool set, required approval for consequential actions — are essential engineering controls.

The Error //

Implementing an agent-triggered action (like issuing a refund) without making it idempotent

// Wrong: an agent retry could issue this multiple times
async function processRefund(orderId) { await issueRefund(orderId); }

// Correct: safe even if the agent decides to retry
async function processRefund(orderId) {
  if (await alreadyProcessed(orderId)) return;
  await issueRefund(orderId);
}

The Solution //

An agent's own reasoning process can independently decide to retry a step it believes failed, even outside any infrastructure-level retry logic — if the underlying action isn't idempotent, this can cause it to be executed multiple times, with real consequences for something like a financial transaction.