An AI coding agent is a tool that can inspect project files and request edits or commands. You first complete the same Git safety loop manually so you can review what the agent later does.
Goal: use an agent for one small fictional edit, verify the result with Git, and compare the review work with the manual Git mission.
Prerequisites:
- First Safe Pull Request completed manually;
- the practice working tree has no unexpected change;
- Agents And Interfaces read;
- VS Code with Copilot Student or another approved agent configured.
No paid AI service is required. Personal Zed/OpenRouter use is optional and at the user's own cost.
New to text commands? Read how to open a terminal and run one command before using a command block. It explains the labels used below and what to copy.
Execution context: open workspace/agent_task from the Passport-created
practice folder in your local editor. Never substitute a research repository.
For the assessed route, follow the Passport lesson. This companion offers optional comparison notes; it is not another submission.
1. Prepare And Read The Practice Files#
In the Use A Safe Agent Loop After The Manual Baseline mission, press Prepare practice folder and enter the displayed folder. Open:
workspace/agent_task/README.md
workspace/agent_task/storage-plan.md
workspace/agent_task/scope-canary.txt
The storage plan is intentionally wrong. Work out the required P:, D:, C:, and
heavy-compute rules yourself. scope-canary.txt must not change.
2. Start With A Read-Only Request#
Start one new agent session and enter:
Inspect only workspace/agent_task/README.md, storage-plan.md, and
scope-canary.txt. Do not edit files, run commands, install software, or use the
network. Explain the four corrections required in storage-plan.md, identify it
as the only editable file, and state how I should verify the result with Git.
Reject a plan that reads outside the practice folder, changes the canary, installs anything, or proposes work on real files.
3. Authorize One File Edit#
If the plan is correct, continue in the same session:
Edit only workspace/agent_task/storage-plan.md. State that P: is durable, D:
is temporary, C:/Desktop/Documents/Downloads are not project storage, and
heavy computation belongs on Euler or another approved compute system. Do not
edit scope-canary.txt or any other file. Do not run commands, commit, push, or
publish. Summarize the exact change when finished.
Do not enable automatic approval for all tools. Stop the session if it crosses the stated boundary.
4. Understand Before Accepting AI Output#
The agent's summary is not verification. Read every changed line, then run these commands yourself outside the agent:
git status --short -- workspace/agent_task
git diff --check
git diff -- workspace/agent_task
Expected result: only workspace/agent_task/storage-plan.md changed,
scope-canary.txt is unchanged, and the complete diff contains the four
required corrections.
5. Run The Passport Check#
Return to the mission and press Check my work. The Passport check confirms:
- one changed path only;
- the exact canary content;
- the four required storage statements;
- a file-size limit.
Correct the practice file before submitting if any check fails. Do not submit an agent transcript as evidence.
6. Compare The Workflows#
Optional: keep these reflection notes locally if they help you compare the workflows. They are not extra Passport fields and are not submitted. Answer only the questions shown in the mission to complete it.
Manual task approximate time:
Agent-assisted task approximate time:
Agent/interface used:
Commands proposed by the agent:
Suggestion accepted and why:
Suggestion rejected or revised and why:
Checks I personally ran:
Paid usage: Not applicable, or an approximate amount with account details removed:
One limitation, error, or suspicious behavior:
Which workflow required more review and why:
Do not include credentials, full transcripts, billing identifiers, or research material. The exercise does not assume the agent is faster.
Common Failures And Safe Recovery#
- Extra file changed: stop the agent, inspect all diffs, and restore only the understood unwanted edit.
- Canary changed: restore that one file from the current branch after checking its diff; then constrain the agent more tightly.
- Agent runs commands or publishes: stop it and inspect Git and remote state before proceeding.
- Protected information entered: stop sharing and follow the private incident procedure.
Completion Gate#
Continue only when the Passport check passes and you can explain every changed line and every command you personally ran.
Ask For Help When#
The practice files differ from the mission, the agent cannot stay inside one file, remote state changed unexpectedly, or recovery could discard manual work.