Kill switch
Also known as: stop button · emergency stop
A kill switch is a hard, immediate control that stops an agent or system mid-run.
- Halts a runaway loop or a bad tool sequence.
- Cuts off cost, API hammering, or damage.
- The “pull the plug” of autonomous systems.
Design it in: an agent you can't stop is an agent you can't safely deploy. A simple, always-available kill switch is table stakes for autonomy.