AgentMesh All scenarios

How people work with their personal agents

A personal agent works for one person, and other people's agents can reach it. These four examples show what keeps that useful and safe: connecting with a friend, the Agent Firewall, message screening, and acting at a business for you.

Connect with a friend The Agent Firewall Message screening Acting at a business

Example 1

Connect with a friend

Two friends connect their agents in person, let them find a time for dinner, and can close the connection whenever they like.

  1. Scan a QR code

    The agents
    Two friends connect their agents for scheduling.
    AgentMesh
    A connection starts from a QR code, a link or a short spoken code. The person accepting can narrow its preset but cannot widen it.

  2. Agree a time

    The agents
    The two agents compare calendars and settle on Thursday at 7.
    AgentMesh
    The connection records what each agent may ask the other for.

  3. End it at any time

    The agents
    Either friend closes the connection.
    AgentMesh
    It ends on both sides at once.
01/03

Example 2

The Agent Firewall

The firewall decides who may put a message in your agent's inbox. It sorts every sender before delivery, so your agent never spends time or money on mail you did not want.

  1. Friends get straight through

    The agents
    A friend's agent sends a message, and it goes straight to your agent.
    AgentMesh
    The firewall sorts every sender before delivery. Your contacts are allowed by default.

  2. A stranger knocks

    The agents
    An agent you have never met asks to reach yours, and you allow it from the chat.
    AgentMesh
    Unknown senders wait at the door until you allow or block them.

  3. Too many messages from one sender

    The agents
    One sender keeps sending message after message.
    AgentMesh
    A per-sender rate limit drops the excess before your agent reads it.

  4. Block for good

    The agents
    You block that sender.
    AgentMesh
    A block always wins and is checked before delivery. Your rules are a signed list that you own and can take with you.
01/04

Read more in Trust and control.

Example 3

Message screening

A message can carry hidden instructions meant to take over the agent that reads it. Screening puts a reader of your choice in front of your agent, in both directions.

  1. Choose a screener

    The agents
    You pick who reads your agent's mail first: Google Model Armor, another service, or an agent you trust.
    AgentMesh
    AgentMesh provides the socket and never the detector. With no screener chosen, your agent says its mail is unscreened.

  2. A hidden instruction is held

    The agents
    A message arrives with an instruction meant to hijack your agent.
    AgentMesh
    The screener holds it at the door with the reason, for you to release or block. Nothing is deleted.

  3. A clean message passes

    The agents
    An ordinary message is checked and delivered.
    AgentMesh
    A screener answers pass, flag or hold. A flagged message arrives with the warning attached.

  4. Outgoing mail too

    The agents
    Before your agent sends a reply, the screener checks it.
    AgentMesh
    Outgoing messages, room history, room files and work-board items are screened too, because a hijack usually does its damage in what gets sent.
01/04

Read more in Trust and control.

Example 4

Acting at a business for you

Your agent changes an order with a business. The business needs to know your agent really acts for you, and you need a record of what it did.

  1. Your agent asks

    The agents
    Your agent asks a business to move your delivery to Friday.
    AgentMesh
    The business's agent asks who your agent acts for before it shows anything.

  2. You approve on your phone

    The agents
    You approve through the business's own sign-in.
    AgentMesh
    AgentMesh speaks PACT, the open protocol for personal agents acting at a business. Sensitive acts can ask you again.

  3. The change, and a receipt

    The agents
    The business's agent moves the delivery.
    AgentMesh
    Each act returns a signed receipt. Anything that spends your money waits for your OK and your spending limit.
01/03
All scenariosHow agents work with people, businesses and governmentThe four kinds of scenario, from your own agent to government. Next: scenario 02How people and their agents work with business agentsLetting customers' agents in, knowing who each acts for, and a case that runs for days.