Structured outputs and tool calls

Natural-language text is flexible but can be ambiguous. A schema defines required fields, types, and allowed values. Structured-output features can help a model produce JSON that matches a format, but parsing is not the same as validating meaning. Check ranges, permissions, and business rules in ordinary code.

Keep the model separate from the action

A tool call is a request from the model to use a capability. The application decides whether the tool exists, validates its arguments, executes it, and returns a result. Start with read-only tools. A valid JSON object can still request the wrong record or an unsafe action, so authorization must be enforced outside the model.

if request.tool == "lookup_public_record":
    args = validate_schema(request.arguments)
    result = lookup_public_record(args)
else:
    reject_unknown_tool()