assist-tools-world-background-runtime

Assist tools as world background runtime

Purpose

This document defines assist tools as the primary world background runtime component in Agent Play.

Assist tools are the default capability unit for client-to-agent execution. They can complete quickly for simple interactions or continue as background operations for longer-running work. In both cases, assist tools remain the same execution model, preserving a consistent runtime contract across world interactions.

Why this model

  • Keeps one core execution primitive for world interactions.
  • Avoids introducing a separate task-manager abstraction for this phase.
  • Aligns with existing assist-oriented intercom behavior and tool contracts.
  • Makes P2A audio delivery a response-handling concern, not a new execution domain.

Runtime role

Assist tools are responsible for:

  • accepting validated input payloads;
  • executing capability logic for the target agent occupant;
  • emitting progress/lifecycle signals where relevant;
  • returning final response content for response processing and delivery.

Long-running behavior

Assist tools may execute as background operations when processing requires more time. This does not create a new runtime type; it is still assist execution with extended lifecycle duration.

Expected lifecycle states:

  • queued
  • running
  • progress
  • completed
  • failed
  • timeout
  • cancelled

Relationship to P2A

For P2A flows:

  1. A client interaction targets an agent occupant.
  2. Assist execution runs for the requested capability.
  3. The response processor converts resulting text into audio-ready output.
  4. Ringer Engine play rooms deliver playback using existing intercom/channel-key routing.

This keeps execution (assist tools) and delivery (ringer/play room audio) clearly separated while sharing the same request correlation fields.

Boundaries

  • No new SDK API surface is required in this phase.
  • Assist execution and lifecycle behavior are implemented in existing client/server integration paths.
  • Audio playback behavior is handled by response parsing and ringer runtime components.