Jim VandeHeiAdd Axios as your preferred source tosee more of our stories on Google.Illustration: Brendan Lynch/AxiosThe most important concept in AI right now isn't agents. It's loops.What's happening: The smartest builders have stopped prompting AI directly. They design systems — called loops — that prompt AI automatically, check the results, remember what worked and improve with every run.The engineering version, with no human required between steps: Set a goal; have an agent do the work; verify the results; its memory updates and the next run begins.My version that helps surface ideas for this newsletter: I ask for vital, verified info for CEOs; my agents scout, research and cite; I judge what matters; a story repository stores that judgment and improves; my next brief starts smarter than the last.Why CEOs need to understand this: That self-improvement aspect is the key. Every cycle, it gets a little better — or a little worse, depending on what's in the judgment layer.Smart judgment is arguably the most important talent right now. Otherwise, you'll drown in slop and mediocre junk.📈 If you're a CEO or on a CEO's team: Ask to join Jim's new weekly Axios C-Suite newsletter.