AWS Step Functions workflows can now be called as AI agent tools, exposed over MCP through AgentCore Gateway, for both Standard and Express workflows
Existing Step Functions workflows can be handed to agents without rewriting: the agent decides when to run one and what input to pass, and each step still runs as you defined it.
// Key points
- It runs through Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Gateway, which exposes the workflows to agents over the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
- Agents can start runs, for example a support agent launching a refund workflow with eligibility checks, manager approval and a credit step, and can look up runs, for example reporting which overnight runs failed and at which step.
- Available in every AWS Region where AgentCore Gateway is offered, billed at standard Step Functions and AgentCore Gateway rates.
Builder's takeThis is the pattern I keep recommending: the agent decides only whether to act and with what input, while the side-effecting steps (approvals, charges, data changes) stay in a deterministic workflow. If you already orchestrate on AWS with Step Functions, wire up the read-only run lookup for ops questions first, then consider letting agents start workflows, with the approval step inside the workflow rather than enforced by the prompt.
// Background · from #AI agents
Full timeline →- Oct 30 OpenAI updates its Model Spec around five core values, with explicit rules for agent autonomy scope and ignoring untrusted data by default
- Oct 29 GitHub Agentic Workflows is generally available: write automation in Markdown, compile it to Actions YAML, and run it with Copilot or your own coding agent
- Oct 29 Copilot Memory is generally available on paid plans, and "dreaming" enters public preview: it curates memories and proposes instruction changes through pull requests