How to write for an agent

The exploration of creating effective AI agents highlights the distinction between "prompting" and "writing for agents," emphasizing that writing for agents involves crafting system prompts that define the agent’s identity and behavior, unlike the more conversational and improvisational nature of prompting. It argues that building agents is less about technological advancements and more about understanding and constructing a reader, akin to traditional writing and communication skills. The text reflects on the process of developing the Content Agent at Sanity, revealing insights such as the importance of clear and concise system prompts, the impact of tone on agent output, and the value of demonstrating desired outcomes through examples rather than rigid rules. It critiques the tech industry's tendency to approach agent development as an engineering problem, suggesting that the solution lies in better writing, a skill rooted in long-standing disciplines like rhetoric and linguistics.