Why can't I trust AI agents with production tasks?
Autonomous AI tools remain too unreliable for critical operational workflows, forcing engineers to restrict them to basic read-only queries like code searches. This lack of reliability prevents system administrators from safely delegating routine automation or granting write access to production environments.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Using AI strictly as a glorified search engine
- 2Restricting AI usage to read-only tasks rather than write access
- 3Approving every single step manually instead of giving full ownership
- 4Restricting agents to read-only access or search engines
- 5Locking down CRM permissions using baseline security principles
- 6Relying on governance tools and monitoring solutions
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Not sure the best approach on to how. But letting it create and work with real records scares me. As it can be pretty unpredictable, and can find workarounds pretty easily, not fls or permission workarounds but our customizations workarounds.”source ↗
“Would you trust an agent with write access to production today?”source ↗
“With AI unreliability being what it is, nothing.”source ↗
“I don’t use it for anything more than a glorified search engine.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4Is it safe to use AI for business financial data?
- 6Why do simple CRM automations get so complicated?
- 2How to delegate repetitive tasks without giving too much system access
- 6Why is modern IT work so boring and automated?
- 2How to manage too many AI automation ideas
- 21Why is project management just doing admin and updating trackers?