Steer while it works
Astra matters because long jobs can keep running while tools work, and you can correct them mid-run.
On the Responses API, Astra can keep working while your app runs a tool and returns later. You can send new instructions while a response is still open. You can change how hard it thinks without wiping the cached prompt. Astra tool calls need Responses. Old Chat Completions tool setups will not do this.
Most agent setups still act like a chat box. You send a prompt. You wait. You get an answer. If anything is wrong, you start over. That works for short asks. It hurts on long jobs. Restarts burn time, money, and context.
A better setup lets a person steer while the job is alive. One agent you can correct beats five agents that only listen at the start.
Astra also sits at a high cyber risk bar, so lock down tools. That matters. It is not the main point. The main point is this: can you correct a live run without killing it?
If you cannot start a Responses job, accept late tool results, and push a mid-run note without restarting, you are not ready for Astra. You are ready for a demo.
Treat the runner as the product. Models will change. The need to steer live work will not.