Build-Time vs. Run-Time: Why Dev Tools Fail in Production — Averi Kitsch & Prerna Kakkar, Google
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youtube.com
Author
AI Engineer
Date
Context
A database AI agentAn AI system that doesn't just answer once but works toward a goal in a loop — taking actions, reading the results, and deciding what to do next.Full definition →'s freedom should depend on the job its tools are meant to perform. A conference talk describes the difference between flexible developer tools and production tools built around predefined database queries. Fixing the query's structure limits what the agent can ask the database to do.
The application can also supply values the model should not choose. MCPThe Model Context Protocol — an open standard that lets any AI assistant plug into any tool or data source without custom integration code.Full definition → Toolbox's parameter-binding documentation explains how a bound value is fixed so the model does not request or modify it during tool useA model's ability to call external functions — run code, search the web, edit files — instead of only generating text.Full definition →. Combining constrained queries with application-supplied parameters puts part of the control in executable software rather than relying entirely on instructions to the agent.
Terms in this piece · Glossary
AI agent — An AI system that doesn't just answer once but works toward a goal in a loop — taking actions, reading the results, and deciding what to do next.
MCP — The Model Context Protocol — an open standard that lets any AI assistant plug into any tool or data source without custom integration code.
tool use — A model's ability to call external functions — run code, search the web, edit files — instead of only generating text.