Design-time governance for AI agents (github.com)

A new project has emerged focusing on design-time governance for AI agents, introducing a compile-only system that streamlines the process of defining agent behavior without executing actions. The workflow follows the sequence of Intent → Plan → Diff → Publish, generating reviewable artifacts intended for later use in runtimes like LangGraph. This approach emphasizes the importance of establishing governance at the design phase rather than relying on runtime autonomy. By separating decision-making from execution, developers can ensure that critical choices, such as permissible actions, tool access, and human approval timelines, are managed within a compile-time framework. This initiative is significant for the AI/ML community as it addresses concerns about the autonomy of AI agents, providing a structured method for implementing accountability and safety measures at the design level. Key technical elements include a rich intent schema, deterministic topology selection rules, capability diffing across versions, and design-time approval workflows. Such a framework not only aids in preventing unintended agent behavior but also enhances the ability to track and manage changes in agent capabilities over time, ultimately promoting responsible AI development.