OpenAI apparently launched Swarm to explore methods for improving agent collaboration through “routines” and “handoffs.” In this case, “routines” are predefined sets of instructions that guide agents through tasks or workflows. They serve as recipes for agents to follow, which adds control and predictability to multi-agent systems. “Handoffs” enable one agent to delegate a job to another based on the current context. For example, if the agent requires something specific that can be better handled by an agent specializing in that task, it can delegate it. That “handoff” provides the history of the task to the new agent, so it has context under which to proceed.