Overview
Agentic engineering is a new software development approach where coding agents write and execute code in loops to achieve goals. Unlike traditional AI coding assistance, these agents can run their own code and iterate until problems are solved, fundamentally changing the engineer’s role from writing code to defining problems and guiding the solution process.
The Breakdown
- Coding agents combine code generation with execution - they can write code, run it, see the results, and iterate until the goal is achieved, unlike static code generators
- Agents operate as tool-running loops - they take prompts, call LLMs with tool definitions, execute requested tools, and feed results back to continue the cycle
- Engineers shift from code writing to problem specification - the human role becomes defining what to build, providing the right tools and context, and verifying results meet requirements
- Code execution enables true iteration - without the ability to run and test code, LLM output has limited value, but with execution, agents can produce demonstrably working software
- Agentic engineering differs from “vibe coding” - while vibe coding produces unreviewed prototype code, agentic engineering involves deliberate problem-solving with proper verification and iteration