The Two Things Every Reliable Agent Needs
Last Updated on February 3, 2026 by Editorial Team
Author(s): Shenggang Li
Originally published on Towards AI.
Memory-first design + anti-Goodhart scoreboards for systems that don’t optimize proxies.
Let me guess how your “agent” demo went.
This article discusses the essential components for creating reliable AI agents, emphasizing the importance of a memory-first design and proper scoreboard mechanics to prevent optimization pitfalls. It critiques current practices of overemphasizing proxy optimization and proposes a thorough framework that separates memory types and includes adversarial testing to ensure robustness in evolving systems. The goal is to transition from superficial solutions to capable systems that genuinely improve performance without compromising integrity.
Read the full blog for free on Medium.
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