CrewAI 1.14.8a Adds JSON-First Crews and Flow Definitions

Full analysis

CrewAI released version 1.14.8a, introducing a substantial set of features centered on 'JSON-first crews' — a way to define, configure, and run multi-agent workflows using JSON configuration rather than Python code. Key additions include a FlowDefinition system with support for composite actions (including an each iterator), expressions, human feedback wiring, and an experimental crewai run --definition CLI command that can execute flows directly from a definition file. The release also adds DMN (Decision Model and Notation) mode support for crew creation and execution, ZIP deployment fallback, and the ability to run tools within flow definitions without writing Python. These changes signal a move toward lower-code, declarative agent orchestration in CrewAI, making it easier to deploy and manage crews in production without requiring developers to write Python for every workflow step.