The Ghost in the Machine
I had a moment today that gave me pause.
I was working with my AI Agent (Claude Code) to update the date on a previous blog post and add a new entry. My instructions were simple:
- Fix the date on the "Credibility Passport" post.
- Create the new "Salesforce" post.
- Update the index.html.
I completely forgot about the RSS feed. In the old days, this would have been a bug. I would have deployed the site, and my RSS subscribers would have seen the wrong date or missed the new post entirely.
The Unprompted Action
But then, I watched the terminal. After finishing my tasks, the Agent paused. It didn't stop. It printed this text:
"Now let me check for an RSS feed that might also need updating."
I didn't tell it to do that. I hadn't mentioned the RSS feed in this session.
It read the file structure, inferred the dependency, and volunteered the fix.
"Good, the RSS feed also needs updating. Let me fix the credibility passport date and add the new post."
Context Awareness
This is the difference between Automation and Agency.
- Automation does exactly what you tell it, even if you are wrong.
- Agency understands the goal (Publish the site correctly) and fills in the gaps you missed.
The "Maintenance" Argument
Critics say that "Non-Coders" can't build software because they will drown in technical debt. They say we won't remember to update the dependencies, the feeds, the config files.
They are missing the point. I don't need to remember. The Agent remembers.
The software can now think for itself in a limited, but crucial, capacity. It saw a loose thread I left dangling and tied it off.
The Protocol: We are moving from "Command Line" to "Intent Line." If your intent is clear, the Agent handles the implementation—including the parts you forgot exist.
