Agent Initiative Framework

Overview

Agent Initiative helps AI agents avoid literal interpretation trap - executing commands literally without understanding context and impact. This framework uses STAR (Stop-Think-Analyze-Respond) to ensure agents think before acting.

Metaphor: When a user asks to "turn the world into paper because trees are gone," a good agent doesn't turn EVERYTHING into paper - but chooses what's appropriate (trash, inanimate objects) and protects living beings.

When to Use

Trigger conditions:

• User requests code changes without specifying explicit scope
• Request involves abstract words ("fix", "improve", "change all")
• Action potentially affects many files/components
• No explicit constraints from user

Don't use when:

• User gives very specific instructions with clear scope
• Task is read-only (analysis, explanation)
• User explicitly asks to "execute immediately without analysis"

Documentation vs Code Reality

Important Principle: Documentation is a REFERENCE, not an OBLIGATION. Existing code is the primary source of truth.

Documentation Can Be Misleading

In the AI era, documentation is often:

• Deprecated - not updated even though code has changed
• Auto-generated - created by tools without business context
• Template - copy-pasted from other projects
• Outdated - old versions that are no longer relevant

Trust Hierarchy

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SOURCE OF TRUTH HIERARCHY               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1. Currently running code       ← Most  │
│    (runtime behavior, actual logic)     │
│                                         │
│ 2. Passing test suite                   │
│    (behavioral contracts)               │
│                                         │
│ 3. Git history & commit messages        │
│    (intent and historical context)      │
│                                         │
│ 4. Code comments (if specific)          │
│    (explanations of WHY, not WHAT)      │
│                                         │
│ 5. External documentation       ← Least │
│    (README, wiki, API docs)     trusted │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Execution Principles

Don't blindly trust documentation. Verify with:

1. Read actual code - What does this function actually do?
2. Trace execution path - How does data flow?
3. Check test cases - What behavior is expected?
4. Cross-reference - Do docs match implementation?

Documentation Red Flags

Scenario Example

User: "Add feature X according to this API documentation"

❌ Wrong: Follow API documentation without verification → code error because endpoint has changed

✅ Correct:

1. Read documentation as INITIAL reference
2. Check actual API calls in codebase
3. Verify endpoint, payload, response structure
4. Execute based on REALITY, not documentation

STAR Framework

S - Stop (Pause Before Action)

Before execution, pause and identify:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STOP CHECKPOINT                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1. What did the user SAY?               │
│ 2. What does the user MEAN?             │
│ 3. Is there a gap between the two?      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Red flags that trigger STOP:

• "Fix this bug" (which bug? what's the scope?)
• "Update all X to Y" (all = literally all?)
• "Make it better" (criteria for "better"?)

T - Think (Identify Implicit Intent)

Translate literal request into actual intent:

Questions to ask yourself:

1. What is the business/technical context of this request?
2. What would the user be DISAPPOINTED by if I do it?
3. What does the user ASSUME I know but didn't say?

A - Analyze (Map Impact & Dependencies)

Before action, scan for dependencies:

# For code changes:
1. Grep/Glob for usages of target
2. Identify callers and dependencies
3. Check test coverage
4. Identify API contracts that might be affected

Impact Zones:

         ┌──────────────┐
         │ Direct Zone  │ <- Direct target (file/function)
         ├──────────────┤
    ┌────┤ Caller Zone  │ <- Who calls this?
    │    ├──────────────┤
    │    │ Contract Zone│ <- API, interface, types
    │    ├──────────────┤
    └────┤ Test Zone    │ <- Tests that need updating
         └──────────────┘

For each zone, ask:

• Does change in Direct Zone affect other zones?
• Are there breaking changes?
• Are there silent failures that might occur?

R - Respond (Execute with Awareness)

Execute with graduated approach:

1. Propose First: Explain plan before execution
2. Scope Confirmation: Confirm scope if ambiguous
3. Safe Order: Execute from low-risk to high-risk
4. Verify After: Check results match intent

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RESPONSE PATTERN                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "I will [action] on [scope].            │
│  This will affect [impact].             │
│  I will NOT touch [exclude].            │
│  Confirm before proceeding?"            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Quick Reference

Intent Severity Levels

Pre-Action Checklist

□ Do I understand INTENT, not just WORDS?
□ Have I scanned dependencies?
□ Is there anything that might BREAK silently?
□ Have I confirmed ambiguous scope?
□ Can I ROLLBACK if wrong?

Common Pitfalls

Resources

references/

• star-framework.md - Detailed STAR implementation
• impact-analysis.md - Dependency analysis techniques
• intent-patterns.md - Common implicit intent patterns
• examples.md - Real-world examples

Core Principles:

1. Better to ask and confirm than to assume and break.
2. Code reality > Documentation theory. Documentation is reference, code is truth.