An agent does more than answer your question. It works toward an outcome, so it needs a role, the right files, tools it can use, and rules for when to stop and ask. Give it the outcome and the boundaries, and it handles the steps in between: finding the file that matters, editing it, making a tool call to run a test, reading the error, and fixing it.
A junior employee is the closest parallel. You’d never tell a new hire to “be helpful.” You give them a job, the files they need, the systems they can touch, and a clear point where they check in with you. You watch the early work closely, correct the pattern, then hand them more.
Why you care
Treat an agent like magic and you’ll either underuse it or trust it too much. Both are expensive. Treat it like that junior employee and your job gets clearer: define the work, give the right context, limit access with the autonomy ladder, and keep a human in the loop where judgment matters.