8 hours ago - Business

Axios C-Suite: Why loops are the next level of your AI use

Jim VandeHei

Animated illustration of three sparkles rotating in a circle, and glitching. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

The most important concept in AI right now isn't agents. It's loops.

What's happening: The smartest builders have stopped prompting AI directly. They design systems — called loops — that prompt AI automatically, check the results, remember what worked and improve with every run.

The engineering version, with no human required between steps: Set a goal; have an agent do the work; verify the results; its memory updates and the next run begins.
My version that helps surface ideas for this newsletter: I ask for vital, verified info for CEOs; my agents scout, research and cite; I judge what matters; a story repository stores that judgment and improves; my next brief starts smarter than the last.

Why CEOs need to understand this: That self-improvement aspect is the key. Every cycle, it gets a little better — or a little worse, depending on what's in the judgment layer.

Smart judgment is arguably the most important talent right now. Otherwise, you'll drown in slop and mediocre junk.

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Axios C-Suite: Why loops are the next level of your AI use

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