May 9, 2025
Goal-Driven Agents vs. Task-Driven Agents: A Subtle but Crucial Distinction
AI agents can be either goal-driven (focused on outcomes) or task-driven (focused on steps). Understanding the distinction influences how you design reward systems, prompt structure, and memory.
Goal-driven agents may infer or redefine their own tasks
Task-driven agents follow explicit instructions without adaptation
Hybrid models combine both: agents that execute tasks but can replan if they detect a better path to the goal.
Explore practical frameworks for both types on the AI agents service page.
When building flexible systems, design agents around goals—tasks can then be dynamically generated or adjusted.
