An AI agent asking a question is not a conversational flourish. It is a handoff of responsibility.
The system has reached a boundary it cannot—or should not—cross alone. The interface must explain the decision, preserve the work already completed, make the consequence of each answer visible, and resume without creating a second task.
Many products design this moment as another chat bubble. That works only when the person is already watching. Long-running tasks need an interruption contract that survives closed tabs, mobile notifications, time zones, and expired context.
Model the handoff as a flow
agent working
