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Correct answer: B. It reads files, runs commands and makes changes while you watch or redirect
Explanation
The principle — the difference between an agentic tool and a chat assistant is not writing quality. It is whether anything happens to your files.
Why the key is correct — Anthropic defines agentic coding as a workflow where the AI reads files, runs commands and makes changes autonomously while you watch, redirect or step away, as opposed to chat-based assistants that only respond with text you must apply yourself. Watching and redirecting are part of that definition, not a caveat on it.
Why the others are wrong — autocomplete works from your cursor, not from a task. Answering repository questions is something it can do rather than the limit of what it does. Copying the result into your editor is the chat-assistant workflow being contrasted.
Remember this — a chat assistant advises; Claude Code acts, then checks whether the action worked.
Sources — Anthropic's Claude Code glossary.
Sources
“A workflow where the AI can read files, run commands, and make changes autonomously while you watch, redirect, or step away, as opposed to chat-based assistants that only respond with text you must apply yourself.”
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