Integrate AI agents directly into core workflows like Slack and institutionalize them as the "first line of response." By tagging the agent on every new bug, crash, or request, it provides an initial analysis or pull request that humans can then review, edit, or build upon.

The future of knowledge work will bifurcate into two surfaces. The first is asynchronous delegation to AI agents in collaborative spaces like Slack. The second is a deep, synchronous co-working surface, like an IDE or creative tool, where a user and an agent collaborate intensely on a single task.

Most AI tools are single-player experiences. Linear is designing its agent sessions to be shared, collaborative spaces. Multiple people, like a PM and a designer, can jump into the same chat with an agent, see its work, and give it feedback together, collapsing the collaboration loop.

Using AI agents in shared Slack channels transforms coding from a solo activity into a collaborative one. Multiple team members can observe the agent's work, provide corrective feedback in the same thread, and collectively guide the task to completion, fostering shared knowledge.

Building a bespoke communication layer for multiple AI agents is a complex "scaffolding" problem. A simpler, more direct solution is to treat agents as digital coworkers, assigning them accounts on existing platforms like Slack or Google Docs, enabling them to interact using established human workflows.

Treating AI as a personal assistant solves individual tasks but not team coordination. The solution is to deploy "AI Teammates"—integrated agents with specific roles, permissions, and the ability to work with multiple stakeholders within a shared workflow, autonomously moving projects forward.

To maximize an AI agent's effectiveness, treat it like a team member, not just a tool. Integrate it directly into your company's communication and project management systems (like Slack). This ensures the agent has the full context necessary to perform its tasks.

To combat the isolating nature of AI work and share learnings, have AI agents operate in public Slack channels. This allows team members to passively observe how others prompt the AI, revealing new use cases and techniques in a natural, collaborative environment.

Today's AI agents like Codex primarily operate as single-player tools on your desktop. The next wave involves multiplayer agents that live in collaborative spaces like Slack. These team-based agents can be accessed by anyone, share knowledge, and automate group workflows, creating new challenges in permissions and shared memory.