Researchers have built software programs called “scaffolds”40 that allow frontier AI models to 
power autonomous AI agents. The scaffold prompts the AI model to create a plan for achieving 
a high-level goal and to then execute the plan step by step. The scaffold augments the AI 
model with tools like web browsers, allowing it to execute each step autonomously. The 
resultant system, built out of the AI model and the scaffold, is an AI agent. AutoGPT is the 
most well-publicised example of such an AI agent as of late 2023.41 

Today’s AI agents currently struggle to perform most tasks – they often get stuck in loops and 
cannot self-correct, or fail at crucial steps. However, they do allow frontier AI to perform some 
entirely new tasks. Examples of tasks that AI agents can currently do include:
Capabilities and risks from frontier AI 