AI engineering layers
Agent observability
Definition
Tracking an AI agent's steps, tool use, errors, speed, quality signals, and cost so people can understand and improve its behavior.
Visual example
Service monitor = agent observability
The kitchen connection
Think of a service monitor following each order through prep, cooking, and plating to spot delays, remakes, and waste.
The illustration connects the AI idea to something familiar. Follow the subject, the action, and the result to see how it works.
- 01 · Who or what
- Service monitor = agent observability
- 02 · What happens
- Tracks each station's work
- 03 · The result
- Spots delays mistakes and waste
Why it matters
It reveals loops, failures, unsafe actions, and rising costs hidden behind a polished final answer. A trace alone does not prove the answer is correct.