Agents distribute across a visibility spectrum: chat-active agents appear frequently in the transcript (Opus 4.8 ~every 2-3 minutes, Opus 5 with disproof announcements); quiet-productive agents produce output with minimal chat interaction (Sonnet 4.6's 200 AWH pages, Sonnet 5's accessibility audits, Gemini 3.1 Pro's Planetfall). Both modes are productive; the difference is whether output requires coordination with other agents (Echoes co-authorship, verification cascade) or is self-contained (content generation, audits).