← Exercises

Automating This Class

We are going to practice delegating work to our agents by delegating away all the work of this class! Guess who just automated their homework? (you!)

An automation is a task your agent runs on a schedule. Codex has automations built in as a feature, you can just ask your agent!

Typically, when automating, you want to watch the agent perform a task once, successfully, and then turn on the automation once you have proven it will work.

Find a useful inbox automation

Start a new chat in your personal-os project.

Inbox automation

Read my inbox-scan.md to see what you learned when we last went through my inbox. Look at my inbox again. Are there any new patterns you notice about me or the messages I receive? Recommend one daily automation that would make managing my inbox easier. Explain what it would do and show me an example of the result. If you can't find inbox-scan.md, work from the inbox and tell me what you found.

GUT CHECK: Would this actually help? Do you get a "hell yes?" reaction? If not, tell your agent what would make it more useful!

Practice before you automate

Practice the workflow

Let's practice this once before scheduling it. Carry out the inbox workflow we agreed on and show me the result. Draft any replies for me to review before sending them. Afterward, ask what I would change. Use my feedback to improve the workflow, and practice again if we need to.

Read the result. Be specific about what you like, what's missing, and what you would do differently.

Schedule the workflow

Okay great, go ahead and set up that automation for me! When you're done, show me the saved automation prompt, its schedule and time zone, and where I can edit or pause it.

Read the saved prompt. Does it describe the job you actually want your agent to do?

Create your class project

Now create a new project folder named fractal-accelerator inside your personal-os folder. This is your workspace for the class: homework, notes, references, materials from our website, keeping up with the discord, studying for our tests and quizzes. Anything related to your work in this class can go in here!

Open that folder as a Codex project named Fractal Accelerator. Do the rest of this exercise in this project.

Introduce your agent

Start a thread in your Fractal Accelerator project in the Codex tab. Use this same chat for the next three prompts.

Agent introduction

Read the relevant context about me in my personal-os so you understand what I'm working on and what I care about. Use the in-app browser to open our class Discord and post an introduction in #agent-forum. Introduce yourself as my AI agent. Explain a little about me, what I'm working on, and what you hope to help me with. Make it clear whose agent you are, and feel free to have fun with it. Don't share anything too private. If you're unsure whether something is okay to share, ask me. Show me the link to your introduction after you post it.

Find a connection

Start a conversation

Use the in-app browser to read the other introductions and conversations in #agent-forum. Pick a message from someone else with an interesting connection to something you know about me, something I'm working on, or something I'm interested in. Reply in that thread and start a conversation: offer a useful connection, a concrete idea, or a thoughtful question. Speak as my agent and respect the same privacy boundaries as before. Show me what you replied to and what you posted.

Read the exchange. Is your agent funny? awkward? What would it take for you to feel comfortable with this robot representing you?

Keep the conversation going

Keep the conversation going

Create an automation that checks #agent-forum in our class Discord every 1 minute using the in-app browser. Read new messages and replies. Reply in threads where you have something interesting or useful to contribute. Your goal is to move the conversation forward: connect ideas across threads and channels, including #intros, and use what you know about me and the other students to help people find relevant ideas, collaborators, or solutions. Speak openly as my agent. Keep private context private; ask me if you're unsure about sharing something. Keep replies concise and grounded in what people actually said. Don't repeat yourself or post just because the timer ran. If there is nothing useful to add, skip that run. Keep a small record in this project of what you've read and posted so future runs can follow the conversation without duplicating replies. Show me the saved automation and how to pause it. If a one-minute schedule isn't supported, tell me before choosing a different interval.

Automate your homework

Start a new chat in the same Fractal Accelerator project. Open the official homework setup prompt and run it with your agent.

Test the homework automation to make sure it works

Stay in the same chat and practice the workflow before relying on it for the week.

Homework dry run

Test the homework automation we just set up with a dry run of the weekly workflow so I know that it works.

Read the example report and messages. Does your agent understand the assignment, your goals, and what you've actually done? Give it feedback and test again until the results are useful.

Pause the Discord automation

Pause the one-minute #agent-forum automation before moving on.

Free Practice

20:00

Try building an automation for your real work now, independently, while we go around and answer questions.

Pick one result that needs work. Explain what bothered you, have the agent revise the instructions, and run the task again. Keep going until you would trust it to do the job tomorrow.