What is an Agentic Workflow?
An agentic workflow is a process in which an AI agent makes decisions at each step — choosing tools, routes, and actions without step-by-step human direction.
How it differs from automation
Automation follows a fixed path; an agentic workflow decides the path.
That decision-making includes spending decisions.
Why it matters for cost
The agent chooses which tools to call — and each choice can be a purchase.
A workflow that 'decides' 100 times can spend 100 times.
The control
Budget the decisions: caps, allowlists, and approvals apply at each step.
FAQ
Is every agentic workflow a spend risk?
Only if the agent can spend — but tool access makes that most workflows.
How do you govern one?
The same way you govern any side-effecting system: external gates on the money path.
Related
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