# Roadmap: AITP vNext Runtime Hardening

## Overview

This milestone turns the current AITP runtime-hardening effort into an explicit execution path: sharpen topic starts for source-heavy inputs, expose truthful runtime status surfaces, make steering/checkpoint behavior durable, add strategy-memory reuse, prove the workflow on a code-backed acceptance case, and document how GSD fits around AITP without replacing it.

## Phases

**Phase Numbering:**
- Integer phases (1, 2, 3): Planned milestone work
- Decimal phases (2.1, 2.2): Urgent insertions (marked with INSERTED)

- [x] **Phase 1: Topic-Start Hardening** - Sharpen source-driven idea packets and status explainability for source-heavy topic starts.
- [x] **Phase 2: Steering And Checkpoint Durability** - Make human checkpoints and steering redirects durable before deeper execution continues.
- [x] **Phase 3: Strategy Memory Integration** - Record and reuse bounded route memory without promoting it to scientific truth.
- [x] **Phase 4: Code-Backed Acceptance Lane** - Prove AITP on a real benchmark-first code-backed research workflow.
- [x] **Phase 5: AITP x GSD Workflow Contract** - Document coexistence, routing, and packaging priorities for everyday use.

## Phase Details

### Phase 1: Topic-Start Hardening
**Goal**: Convert source-heavy starts into sharper `idea_packet` defaults and truthful runtime status surfaces.
**Depends on**: Nothing (first phase)
**Requirements**: [START-01, START-02, START-03, STAT-01, STAT-02, STAT-03]
**Success Criteria** (what must be TRUE):
  1. A thesis/paper-backed topic start produces non-empty source-grounded `idea_packet` defaults when the sources contain usable content.
  2. Runtime artifacts answer why the topic is here, what the current route is, what the last evidence return was, and what the human need is.
  3. Regression tests cover the new distillation and explainability behavior.
**Plans**: 3 plans

Plans:
- [x] 01-01: Distill registered source material into sharper `idea_packet` defaults.
- [x] 01-02: Render `status_explainability` consistently across runtime machine and markdown surfaces.
- [x] 01-03: Lock topic-start regressions with targeted tests and a real-topic acceptance check.

### Phase 2: Steering And Checkpoint Durability
**Goal**: Make true human choices durable and authoritative before the loop continues.
**Depends on**: Phase 1
**Requirements**: [STEER-01, STEER-02]
**Success Criteria** (what must be TRUE):
  1. AITP surfaces explicit operator checkpoints from durable files when a real human choice is needed.
  2. Material steering redirects write durable steering artifacts before queue selection proceeds.
  3. Later sessions can inspect outstanding operator needs without reverse-engineering chat.
**Plans**: 1 plan

Plans:
- [x] 02-01: Tighten operator-checkpoint answers so steering semantics materialize durable steering artifacts and refreshed runtime surfaces.

### Phase 3: Strategy Memory Integration
**Goal**: Capture and reuse bounded route lessons from runs without overstating scientific certainty.
**Depends on**: Phase 2
**Requirements**: [MEM-01, MEM-02]
**Success Criteria** (what must be TRUE):
  1. Meaningful runs can write structured strategy-memory rows with evidence and reuse bounds.
  2. Later bounded action selection can consult prior helpful or harmful routes.
  3. Strategy memory stays explicitly non-promotional in docs and runtime behavior.
**Plans**: 1 plan

Plans:
- [x] 03-01: Add strategy-memory write/read surfaces and runtime guidance without turning route memory into scientific truth.

### Phase 4: Code-Backed Acceptance Lane
**Goal**: Demonstrate that AITP can govern a real code-backed research topic with benchmark-first discipline.
**Depends on**: Phase 3
**Requirements**: [ACC-01]
**Success Criteria** (what must be TRUE):
  1. One real code-backed acceptance topic exists with explicit benchmark-first route selection.
  2. Coding work remains attached to topic trust state and reusable AITP artifacts.
  3. Acceptance output proves the workflow is more than protocol prose.
**Plans**: 1 plan

Plans:
- [x] 04-01: Land a real TFIM benchmark-first code-method acceptance workflow, artifacts, and verification note.

### Phase 5: AITP x GSD Workflow Contract
**Goal**: Make the repo's everyday execution model explicit: when GSD drives repo work and when AITP runtime governs the task.
**Depends on**: Phase 4
**Requirements**: [ACC-02]
**Success Criteria** (what must be TRUE):
  1. Repo docs explain when to use GSD for protocol/code execution versus AITP for topic-governed research execution.
  2. Local productization priorities are documented without confusing them with protocol semantics.
  3. The next development cycle can continue from a clear routing contract.
**Plans**: 1 plan

Plans:
- [x] 05-01: Write the AITP x GSD coexistence and routing note and wire it into repo entry docs.

## Progress

| Phase | Plans Complete | Status | Completed |
|-------|----------------|--------|-----------|
| 1. Topic-Start Hardening | 3/3 | Complete | 2026-03-31 |
| 2. Steering And Checkpoint Durability | 1/1 | Complete | 2026-03-31 |
| 3. Strategy Memory Integration | 1/1 | Complete | 2026-03-31 |
| 4. Code-Backed Acceptance Lane | 1/1 | Complete | 2026-03-31 |
| 5. AITP x GSD Workflow Contract | 1/1 | Complete | 2026-03-31 |
