Title: Allow users to steer agents while they are running
I’d love the ability to send additional instructions to an agent while its current response or task is still in progress, similar to how steering works in Codex.
Right now, if an agent is working through a longer task and I notice that it is going in the wrong direction, missing something, or needs additional context, I have to wait for it to finish before I can respond.
With steering, I could send something like:
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“Focus on the pricing section first.”
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“Don’t change that file.”
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“Also check the documentation.”
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“Use the image I just uploaded.”
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“Skip that step and continue with the next one.”
The agent would receive that instruction during the current run and adjust what it is doing without forcing me to stop the task and start over.
This would be especially useful for Agentic Runtime agents doing longer, multi-step tasks or using tools, where a user may want to supervise and guide the agent as it works.
Ideally, the experience would work like:
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Agent begins working.
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The input box remains available while it is running.
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The user can send a new instruction at any time.
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The instruction is added to the active run.
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The agent acknowledges it and adjusts its current plan accordingly.
For me, this has become one of the most useful parts of working with Codex because it makes the interaction feel much more collaborative. I think the same capability would make Pickaxe agents significantly better for longer-running agentic workflows.