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Agents

Autonomous Mode Display

Keep a persistent, glanceable signal when an agent is running unattended: badge, banner, or status light. People should always know automation is live and how to interrupt it.

Interactive demo

Idle

Asks before each step

Agent

Fix flaky auth tests

I’ll pause before each step unless you let me run on my own.

Opened auth.test.ts
Updated retry helper
Running test suite

Overview

How might we design autonomous mode display so people can trust and act on AI output?

When to use

  • Essential for AI coding agents, always-on assistants, and automated workflows where unattended execution needs a glanceable, always-visible signal so users never discover autonomy by surprise.

When to skip

  • Fully manual copilots that never run without a keystroke.
  • Backend jobs with no user-facing surface (use ops dashboards instead).
  • Momentary generations shorter than a status animation would help.

Rules

  • Autonomous runs with no visible indicator.

  • Indicators that stay on after the agent stopped.

  • No path from the indicator to pause, stop, or logs.

  • Decorating marketing screenshots with fake “live” badges.

Evidence

ProductImplementation
CursorAgent badges and status while background runs continue.
Tesla AutopilotPersistent driving-assistance state in the cabin UI.
macOSMenu bar microphone and screen-sharing indicators.
iOSOrange/green status dots for mic and camera use.

FAQ

What is autonomous mode display?

It is a persistent UI signal that an agent is acting without continuous user input, so people can notice and intervene.

Where should the signal live?

In a global chrome location: top bar, menu bar, or session header. Do not bury it inside a scrolled transcript.

What actions should it offer?

Pause, stop, open live log, and view permissions. Status without control is incomplete.

How does it differ from ambient presence displays?

Autonomous mode is specifically “unattended run is active.” Ambient presence covers broader low-attention agent states, including idle listening.