# Tool use (function calling)

The mechanism that makes agents possible: the model outputs a structured request (‘call get_orders with customer_id=42’), your code executes it, and the result goes back to the model. Chain those steps and you have autonomy.

Canonical: https://robauto.ai/learn/ai-agents/8

_AI Agents: Software That Does the Work — lesson 8 of 24 (DEFINITION)_

The mechanism that makes agents possible: the model outputs a structured request (‘call get_orders with customer_id=42’), your code executes it, and the result goes back to the model. Chain those steps and you have autonomy.

Source: [Anthropic Docs — Tool use](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/tool-use?utm_source=robauto)

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