mission-control/documents/ai-adoption-meta-learning-loops-plan.md

# Implementation Plan: Nine Meta-Learning Loops Integration

## Overview
Integrate Vox's 9 meta-learning loops framework into Mission Control's autonomous agent system to enable closed-loop operations and progression toward full agent autonomy.

## Current State Analysis
**Strengths:**
- Alice/Bob/Charlie workflow established
- API-centric CLI pattern prevents duplication
- Gantt Board provides task orchestration
- Research → Document → Task pipeline works

**Gaps:**
- No cap gates for agent overreach prevention
- No reaction matrix for standardized responses
- No proposal service for agent coordination
- No self-healing/stale task detection
- Missing autonomy progression tracking

## Proposed Implementation

### Phase 1: Safety Mechanisms (Week 1-2)

**1.1 Cap Gates System**
```
Location: /lib/agents/cap-gates.ts
- Max review cycles: 3 before human escalation
- Max token spend per task: 100k tokens
- Max execution time: 2 hours per agent session
- Forbidden operations: Require explicit approval
```

**1.2 Reaction Matrix**
```
Location: /lib/agents/reaction-matrix.ts
Standardized responses for:
- API failures → Retry with backoff
- Syntax errors → Check SKILL.md first
- Test failures → Run debug skill
- Research complete → Handoff to Bob
- Implementation stuck → Escalate to human
```

### Phase 2: Coordination Layer (Week 3-4)

**2.1 Proposal Service**
```
Location: /lib/agents/proposals/
- Agent submits proposal: "I want to do X"
- Check against cap gates
- Validation against current sprint
- Auto-approve if within bounds
- Human approval if exceeds limits
```

**2.2 Proposal Protocol**
```json
{
  "proposalId": "uuid",
  "agentId": "alice-researcher",
  "type": "research|implement|test",
  "estimatedCost": "tokens",
  "estimatedTime": "minutes",
  "requiresApproval": true|false,
  "rationale": "string",
  "expectedOutput": "string"
}
```

### Phase 3: Self-Healing (Week 5-6)

**3.1 Stale Task Detection**
```
Location: /lib/agents/health-check.ts
- Cron every 30 minutes
- Check tasks with status "in-progress" > 30 min
- Query agent status via sessions_list
- If agent stalled: Respawn or escalate
- Update task with diagnostic comment
```

**3.2 Recovery Actions**
```
- Agent crashed → Respawn with context
- Agent stuck → Spawn debugger agent
- Task unclear → Add clarification request
- Resource exhausted → Queue for off-peak
```

### Phase 4: Observability (Week 7-8)

**4.1 Agent Dashboard (Mission Control Phase 8)**
- Real-time agent status
- Token usage per agent
- Success/failure rates
- Time-to-completion metrics
- Autonomy level progression

**4.2 Learning Metrics**
- Which patterns succeed most
- Common failure modes
- Optimal task sizes
- Best agent combinations

## Integration Points

### With Existing Systems
| System | Integration Point | Change Required |
|--------|-------------------|-----------------|
| Gantt Board | Task status API | Add stale detection trigger |
| Mission Control | Documents API | Link research → plans |
| Agent Workflow | Spawn protocol | Add cap gate checks |
| Session Logs | Query API | Health check queries |

### File Changes
```
NEW: /lib/agents/cap-gates.ts
NEW: /lib/agents/reaction-matrix.ts
NEW: /lib/agents/proposal-service.ts
NEW: /lib/agents/health-check.ts
NEW: /lib/agents/dashboard.ts
MODIFY: /agents/TEAM-REGISTRY.md
MODIFY: Skill files for Alice/Bob/Charlie (add cap checks)
```

## Risks and Mitigation

| Risk | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|--------|------------|
| Cap gates too restrictive | Agents can't work | Start permissive, tighten based on data |
| Proposal overhead | Slower execution | Auto-approve 90% of cases |
| False stale detection | Interrupted work | Require 3 checks before action |
| Dashboard complexity | Delayed Phase 8 | Build incrementally |

## Success Criteria
- [ ] Zero runaway agent incidents
- [ ] 95% auto-approval rate for proposals
- [ ] <5 min stale detection latency
- [ ] 50% reduction in human intervention needs
- [ ] Complete audit trail of agent decisions

## Timeline
- **Week 1-2:** Cap gates + reactions
- **Week 3-4:** Proposal service
- **Week 5-6:** Self-healing
- **Week 7-8:** Dashboard

## Dependencies
- Requires current agent workflow to be stable
- Gantt Board API token access
- Session log query capability
- Session list/monitoring tools

## Rollout Strategy
1. Deploy cap gates (observation mode)
2. Enable reaction matrix
3. Launch proposal service (with manual approval)
4. Enable auto-approval after 1 week
5. Add stale detection
6. Build dashboard incrementally

## Verdict: ADOPT

This plan directly addresses Mission Control's Phase 6-9 roadmap using a proven pattern from Vox. Start with Phase 1 safety mechanisms before enabling more autonomy.