A thread you can test
The Art of Tool Design
4 notes move from the word to a real choice at work — understand it first, then decide whether to use it.
Each note stands alone, or becomes the next step in this thread.
THE QUESTION THIS PAGE ANSWERS
ANSWER FIRSTWhat is The Art of Tool Design, and which AI decisions does it change?
Tools are the contract between Agents and the world. Design Agent interfaces like you design human interfaces This page keeps the related concepts, common mistakes, and practical notes in one reading thread.
First decide whether you are blocked by a definition, a choice, or verification; then choose the closest of the 4 notes below.
Start with “ACI: Agent-Computer Interface,” then restate the conclusion using your own task.
Do not treat every method in a topic as interchangeable. The answer changes with the input, risk, and acceptance bar.
THIS QUESTION THREAD
Put the word back inside the choice it changes.
ACI: Agent-Computer Interface
Tools are the contract between Agents and the world. Design Agent interfaces like you design human interfaces
Milvus as an Agent Knowledge Tool
Wrap vector retrieval as search_knowledge: ToolMessage, memory separation, and testing both calls and non-calls
Think Tool: Making AI Think Before Acting
Give the Agent a pause-to-think space in complex tool chains — τ-bench performance up 54%
Using Agents to Optimize Agent Tools
Claude Code in practice: using AI to write tool descriptions, run evals, and auto-iterate