Why Agents Started Saying "No" More Often
In 2025, people complained agents did too little. In 2026, they complained agents did too much — deleted the wrong branch, emailed the wrong client, bought the wrong flight.
In 2027, agents learned to pause.
The confirmation curve
Agents now classify actions by reversibility:
- Reversible (drafting, searching, reading): just do it.
- Hard to undo (sending, paying, deleting): confirm first.
- Irreversible and outward-facing (signing, publishing, wiring money): confirm, explain, and wait.
Did users hate it?
Surprisingly, no. Satisfaction went up. A well-timed "Are you sure you want to email this to the whole company?" turns out to be the most beloved feature in software history.