AI agent delegation transfers work through a clear request that identifies the objective, relevant evidence, permitted tools, constraints, destination role, and completion criteria. A good handoff also preserves provenance and explains which decisions remain with the delegating human or agent.
Delegation must not silently expand permission. The receiving agent should validate untrusted context, reject work outside its authority, report blockers, and return an observable result that the team can verify before consequential downstream action occurs.
ELI5
Agent delegation means giving a clearly bounded piece of work to an AI agent or from one agent to another. A useful handoff explains the goal, relevant context, allowed tools, important limits, and what a complete result should contain.
For example, a lead agent could ask another agent to inspect one test failure and return the likely cause without changing files. The delegated agent should not assume permission to redesign the project, and its result should include enough evidence for the team to check.
What should an AI agent delegation include?
Include the objective, context, evidence, constraints, permissions, expected output, completion checks, and responsible destination role.
How is delegation different from giving an agent unlimited autonomy?
Delegation defines a bounded task and authority, while unlimited autonomy lacks the scope, controls, and accountability needed for safe work.
