Diagnostic Tool
The Agent Litmus Test
Do You Actually Need an AI Agent?
A 12-point diagnostic from Engineering Reliable AI Agents & Workflows
The Problem This Diagnostic Solves
"AI agent" has become the default pitch for every automation project. Invoice processing? Agent. Customer service? Agent. Data extraction? Agent.
Here's the reality: most of these projects don't need agents.
They need well-designed workflows with targeted AI calls at specific steps. Building an agent when a workflow would suffice means:
- • 5-10x higher costs in development and operation
- • Timelines measured in months instead of weeks
- • 70-75% accuracy vs. 90%+ for workflows
- • Permanent human oversight requirements
- • Compliance challenges from non-deterministic behavior
This diagnostic cuts through the hype. In 10 minutes, you'll know whether your use case genuinely requires an agent—or whether you're about to overengineer.
How the Agent Litmus Test Works
Score your use case across 12 binary criteria in three parts. For each statement that is unequivocally true, add one point.
Your total score places you in one of three zones:
The Workflow Zone
Build a deterministic workflow with targeted AI calls
The Hybrid Zone
Workflow first, then surgical agent components
The Agent Zone
Full agent architecture justified
Each zone has a clear architectural recommendation and guidance on what to build.
The Three Assessment Areas
Part 1: Cost & Value
"The ROI Reality" — Is the ROI defensible?
Tests whether your organization can absorb the costs and timelines agents require. Evaluates if business value justifies higher investment—not just in development, but in ongoing oversight and maintenance.
Sample Criterion:
☐ The business value unequivocally justifies a 5-10x increase in cost and complexity.
If you're expecting an agent to cost "about the same" as traditional automation, reassess.
Part 2: Variability & Complexity
"The Boundedness Check" — Is the problem truly unbounded?
Most problems feel infinite but aren't. This section stress-tests whether your use case is genuinely unbounded or just complex. Complex problems with finite input types can be handled by workflows. Only truly unbounded problems justify agent architecture.
Sample Criterion:
☐ The problem space is genuinely infinite; valid inputs cannot be categorized into a finite list of types.
If you can enumerate your input types—even 500 of them—this may not be agent territory.
Part 3: Reasoning & Autonomy
"The Autonomy Trap" — Is true reasoning essential?
Distinguishes genuine reasoning from sophisticated pattern-matching. Many tasks that seem to require "intelligence" work fine with deterministic logic plus AI components. True agent territory requires novel problem-solving for situations never seen before.
Sample Criterion:
☐ Users can tolerate—and easily recover from—occasional hallucinations or nonsensical failures.
Agents hallucinate. That's inherent, not a bug. Your use case must absorb this.
What Your Score Tells You
Your total score (0-12) places you in one of three zones. Each zone includes a clear architectural recommendation and specific guidance on approach.
The complete diagnostic includes:
- ✓ All 12 scoring criteria across three assessment areas
- ✓ Scoring thresholds for each zone
- ✓ Zone definitions with architectural recommendations
- ✓ Printable worksheet for team sessions
- ✓ Notes template for documenting reasoning
Who Should Use This Diagnostic
Scoping AI features and setting realistic expectations
Evaluating architecture proposals before committing resources
Reviewing AI investments before budget approval
Advising clients on the right AI approach
Cut through vendor hype with objective criteria
Team exercise:
Works best as a group activity. Disagreements on scores reveal hidden assumptions that need resolution before architecture decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an AI agent and a workflow?
How do I know if I need an AI agent?
Do most AI projects actually need agents?
What if I build an agent when a workflow would work?
Can I start with a workflow and add agent capabilities later?
Download the Complete Diagnostic
Get the full Agent Litmus Test with all 12 criteria and zone recommendations.
What you get:
- ✓ All 12 scoring criteria across three assessment areas
- ✓ Scoring thresholds for each zone
- ✓ Zone definitions with architectural recommendations
- ✓ Printable worksheet for team sessions
- ✓ Notes template for documenting reasoning
Related Diagnostics
From the Book
This diagnostic is from Engineering Reliable AI Agents & Workflows. The book covers the reasoning behind each criterion, case studies across scoring zones, and what to do after you have your score.
Get the Book →