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# Architectural Evolution of the Gemini CLI: Integrating Agentic Context Engineering and Test-Time Scaling Paradigms
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## Executive Summary
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The discipline of software engineering is undergoing a fundamental
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transformation driven by the advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) capable of
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extended reasoning and massive context retention. Google’s Gemini CLI, an
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open-source terminal-based agent, represents a seminal implementation of this
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shift, providing developers with a direct interface to Gemini 2.5 and 3.0 model
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families. By embedding the model within the developer’s native environment—the
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terminal—Gemini CLI bridges the gap between abstract code generation and
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concrete execution. However, an architectural audit of the current codebase
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reveals that while the CLI excels at stateless execution and utilizing large
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context windows, it operates primarily as a passive instrument rather than an
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adaptive agent. It lacks the mechanisms for self-directed improvement over time
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(context evolution) and dynamic resource allocation during complex
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problem-solving (test-time scaling).
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This research report provides an exhaustive analysis of the Gemini CLI
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architecture, juxtaposing it against two breakthrough methodologies: "Agentic
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Context Engineering" (ACE), which proposes a framework for evolving context to
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prevent collapse, and "Simple Test-Time Scaling" (STTS), which demonstrates that
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inference-time compute allocation often yields higher returns than model
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scaling. Through a granular examination of core components such as `client.ts`,
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`prompts.ts`, and `useGeminiStream.ts`, this report outlines a comprehensive
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modernization strategy. We propose transforming the Gemini CLI from a
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ReAct-based command executor into a self-curating, introspective system that
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manages its own "thinking budget" and evolves its instructional context through
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autonomous reflection. This evolution is critical to moving beyond the "brevity
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bias" that currently limits long-term agent performance and fully capitalizing
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on the verifiable rewards present in software engineering environments.
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## 1. The Paradigm Shift in Agentic Engineering
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To understand the necessity of integrating ACE and STTS into the Gemini CLI, one
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must first contextualize the current trajectory of AI development tools. The
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industry is pivoting from "Chat-with-Codebase" paradigms—where the model is a
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passive oracle queried by the user—to "Agentic Workflows," where the model acts
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as an autonomous operator. In this new paradigm, the limiting factors are no
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longer just model intelligence (weights) but the management of the model's
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working memory (context) and its cognitive effort (inference compute).
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### 1.1 From Retrieval to Evolving Context
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Traditional architectures, including the current implementation of Gemini CLI,
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rely heavily on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) or static context loading.
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The Gemini CLI utilizes a hierarchical loading strategy, ingesting `GEMINI.md`
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files to seed the model with project-specific instructions [cite: 1]. While
|
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effective for initial alignment, this approach suffers from static rigidity. As
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a project evolves, the instructions in `GEMINI.md` often become outdated or
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incomplete unless manually curated by the developer.
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Recent research into Agentic Context Engineering (ACE) highlights a critical
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flaw in this static approach: **Context Collapse** and **Brevity Bias** [cite:
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2, 3]. When agents attempt to summarize their own history to fit within token
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limits—a feature implemented in Gemini CLI’s `summarizeToolOutput`
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configuration—they preferentially discard the nuanced "negative constraints"
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(what _not_ to do) in favor of high-level affirmative summaries [cite: 4]. This
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loss of fidelity degrades the agent's performance over time, turning a
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specialized expert into a generic assistant. ACE proposes a counter-methodology:
|
||||
treating context as an "Evolving Playbook" managed by specialized sub-agents
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||||
(Generator, Reflector, Curator) that autonomously extract and persist lessons
|
||||
learned, ensuring the agent gets smarter with every interaction [cite: 3].
|
||||
|
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### 1.2 From Pre-Training to Test-Time Compute
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Parallel to the evolution of context is the shift in how computational resources
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are valued. The paper "J1: Exploring Simple Test-Time Scaling for
|
||||
LLM-as-a-Judge" demonstrates that for complex reasoning tasks, scaling the
|
||||
compute available during inference (Test-Time Scaling) offers marginal gains
|
||||
superior to those achieved by increasing model parameters [cite: 5]. This is
|
||||
particularly relevant for coding agents, where the "correctness" of a solution
|
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is often binary (code compiles or it doesn't) and verifiable.
|
||||
|
||||
The Gemini CLI currently exposes the Gemini 2.5/3.0 "thinking" capabilities via
|
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the `thinkingBudget` parameter in `settings.json` [cite: 6, 7]. However, this is
|
||||
largely treated as a static configuration knob rather than a dynamic resource.
|
||||
By applying STTS principles—specifically **Budget Forcing** (forcing the model
|
||||
to think longer on hard problems) and **Best-of-N** (generating multiple
|
||||
candidate solutions and verifying them against a compiler)—the Gemini CLI can
|
||||
transition from a probabilistic code generator to a verified code engineer. The
|
||||
theoretical underpinnings of STTS suggest that the "reasoning trace" or hidden
|
||||
thought process is the locus where complex logic errors are resolved, making the
|
||||
management of these "thinking tokens" the primary engineering challenge for the
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next generation of the CLI [cite: 5, 8].
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|
||||
## 2. Architectural Audit of Gemini CLI
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|
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A rigorous application of ACE and STTS requires a deep understanding of the
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||||
existing `gemini-cli` codebase. Our analysis focuses on the call stack
|
||||
responsible for the agentic loop, token management, and instruction handling.
|
||||
|
||||
### 2.1 The Orchestrator: `client.ts`
|
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|
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The file `packages/core/src/core/client.ts` functions as the central nervous
|
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system of the Gemini CLI [cite: 9]. It orchestrates the entire interaction
|
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lifecycle, from initializing the connection to the Gemini API to managing the
|
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conversation state. This component implements the classic ReAct (Reason-Act)
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loop, a cyclical process where the model receives context, reasons about the
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next step, issues a tool call (Act), and receives the output (Observation).
|
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In its current state, `client.ts` is stateless regarding _process improvement_.
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It initializes a `GeminiChat` instance (`geminiChat.ts`) which maintains the
|
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`history` array of the current session [cite: 10]. This history is ephemeral; it
|
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exists only in the volatile memory of the application execution. When the user
|
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terminates the session, the "lessons learned" during that session—such as "this
|
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project uses a non-standard build script"—are lost unless the user manually
|
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updates the `GEMINI.md` file [cite: 1, 11].
|
||||
|
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The `client.ts` logic also handles context compression. When the token count
|
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approaches the model's limit (1 million tokens for Gemini 2.5 Pro), the client
|
||||
triggers a summarization routine [cite: 12]. This routine, governed by the
|
||||
`summarizeToolOutput` setting, replaces verbose tool outputs with concise
|
||||
descriptions. While this prevents context overflow, it is a mechanical
|
||||
truncation rather than an intelligent curation. It does not analyze the
|
||||
_utility_ of the information being compressed, merely its _volume_. This
|
||||
behavior aligns perfectly with the "Brevity Bias" identified in the ACE
|
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research, where domain-specific insights are sacrificed for conciseness, leading
|
||||
to a degradation of agent capability over extended sessions [cite: 2, 4].
|
||||
|
||||
### 2.2 The Static Instruction Set: `prompts.ts`
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|
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The behavioral DNA of the Gemini CLI is encoded in
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`packages/core/src/core/prompts.ts` [cite: 13, 14]. This file exports the
|
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`getCoreSystemPrompt` function, which constructs the foundational system
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instructions sent to the API. These instructions define the agent's persona
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("You are an interactive CLI agent..."), its safety boundaries, and its tool-use
|
||||
protocols [cite: 15].
|
||||
|
||||
Currently, `prompts.ts` is relatively static. While it dynamically loads the
|
||||
content of `GEMINI.md` to append user-specific context, the _structure_ of the
|
||||
prompt remains fixed. It does not evolve based on the agent's performance. For
|
||||
instance, if the agent repeatedly fails to parse a specific file type,
|
||||
`prompts.ts` has no mechanism to ingest a new "heuristic" to correct this
|
||||
behavior in future sessions. The "System Prompt Override" feature allows a user
|
||||
to replace this prompt entirely via the `GEMINI_SYSTEM_MD` environment variable,
|
||||
but this is a manual, "nuclear" option rather than a granular, self-improving
|
||||
mechanism [cite: 16]. This architectural rigidity stands in direct contrast to
|
||||
the ACE framework, which posits that the system prompt should be a dynamic
|
||||
artifact that grows and refines itself through a "Curator" process [cite: 3].
|
||||
|
||||
### 2.3 The Context Mechanism: `GEMINI.md`
|
||||
|
||||
The `GEMINI.md` file serves as the primary mechanism for injecting long-term
|
||||
memory into the CLI. The architecture supports a hierarchical loading strategy,
|
||||
traversing from the current working directory up to the root to aggregate
|
||||
instructions [cite: 1, 12]. This allows for "Project Context" (at the repo root)
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||||
and "Directory Context" (in subfolders).
|
||||
|
||||
While powerful, this mechanism is entirely manual. The CLI treats `GEMINI.md` as
|
||||
read-only configuration data. It reads the file to understand the user's
|
||||
requirements but never writes to it to update those requirements based on its
|
||||
own discoveries. This unidirectional flow of information—User to Agent—ignores
|
||||
the vast potential of Agent to User (or Agent to Self) information transfer. If
|
||||
the agent discovers that `npm test` fails unless a specific flag is used, it
|
||||
presently has no way to persist that knowledge. It relies on the user to notice
|
||||
the pattern and update `GEMINI.md`, creating a friction point that limits the
|
||||
system's autonomy.
|
||||
|
||||
### 2.4 Streaming and Token Handling: `useGeminiStream.ts`
|
||||
|
||||
The real-time interaction logic is handled within the React-based UI,
|
||||
specifically in `packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useGeminiStream.ts` [cite: 17, 18].
|
||||
This hook manages the connection to the Gemini API, processing the server-sent
|
||||
events (SSE) that contain chunks of text, tool calls, and—crucially—thought
|
||||
traces.
|
||||
|
||||
Recent updates to the Gemini API have introduced "thinking" models (Gemini
|
||||
2.5/3.0) that emit "thought" parts in the response stream. These parts contain
|
||||
the model's internal reasoning chain, distinct from the final response text
|
||||
[cite: 19]. The `useGeminiStream.ts` hook is responsible for parsing these
|
||||
parts. Currently, the implementation focuses on UX: deciding whether to display
|
||||
these thoughts (often hidden or summarized to avoid clutter) or how to visualize
|
||||
the "thinking" state.
|
||||
|
||||
From a token perspective, these thinking tokens count toward the billing and
|
||||
rate limits but are often segregated in the `usageMetadata` [cite: 20, 21]. The
|
||||
CLI's handling of these tokens is currently passive; it receives them and
|
||||
displays them. It does not actively _manage_ them. There is no logic in
|
||||
`useGeminiStream.ts` or `client.ts` to abort a request if the thinking budget is
|
||||
exceeded, nor is there logic to dynamically adjust the budget for subsequent
|
||||
turns based on the density of reasoning in the current turn. This represents a
|
||||
significant missed opportunity to apply STTS strategies, which rely on the
|
||||
precise control of this test-time compute budget.
|
||||
|
||||
## 3. Agentic Context Engineering (ACE) for Gemini CLI
|
||||
|
||||
The integration of Agentic Context Engineering (ACE) into Gemini CLI mandates a
|
||||
transition from a architecture of _static retrieval_ to one of _dynamic
|
||||
curation_. The ACE framework identifies that as context windows grow (to 1M+
|
||||
tokens), the challenge shifts from "fitting data in" to "structuring data for
|
||||
retrieval." Without structure, the model suffers from attention dilution and
|
||||
context collapse. To remedy this within `gemini-cli`, we propose the
|
||||
implementation of three distinct sub-routines: the Reflector, the Curator, and
|
||||
the creation of an "Evolving Playbook."
|
||||
|
||||
### 3.1 The Reflector: Automated Post-Task Analysis
|
||||
|
||||
In the current `client.ts` ReAct loop, a task is considered "complete" when the
|
||||
model outputs a final answer or the user terminates the session. ACE introduces
|
||||
a post-completion phase. The **Reflector** is a specialized prompt routine that
|
||||
runs _after_ a successful (or failed) interaction to analyze the conversation
|
||||
trace [cite: 2, 3].
|
||||
|
||||
#### Implementation Logic
|
||||
|
||||
The Reflector should be implemented as a background service in
|
||||
`packages/core/src/services/reflector.ts`. It does not require user interaction.
|
||||
Once `client.ts` detects a "Task Finished" state (e.g., via a successful
|
||||
`git push` or a verified unit test pass), it triggers the Reflector.
|
||||
|
||||
The Reflector feeds the recent conversation history (specifically the prompt,
|
||||
the tool calls, and the final result) back into a lightweight model (e.g.,
|
||||
Gemini Flash) with a specific meta-prompt:
|
||||
|
||||
> "Analyze the preceding interaction. Identify one specific constraint,
|
||||
> heuristic, or strategy that was critical to the success of the task. Extract
|
||||
> this as a standalone rule. If there was a failure that was corrected, identify
|
||||
> the root cause and the correction. Output strictly in JSON format:
|
||||
> `{ "insight_type": "success_pattern" | "failure_avoidance", "rule": string, "context_tags": string[] }`."
|
||||
|
||||
This process runs asynchronously, ensuring it does not add latency to the user's
|
||||
interactive experience. The output is a structured "Insight," which is then
|
||||
passed to the Curator.
|
||||
|
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### 3.2 The Curator: Guarding the Context
|
||||
|
||||
The **Curator** is the gatekeeper of the agent's long-term memory. Its role is
|
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to take the raw insights from the Reflector and integrate them into the
|
||||
persistent context without introducing redundancy or noise [cite: 3].
|
||||
|
||||
#### Implementation Logic
|
||||
|
||||
Implemented in `packages/core/src/services/curation.ts`, the Curator manages a
|
||||
new storage artifact (detailed in Section 3.3). When it receives an insight from
|
||||
the Reflector, it performs a **Semantic Deduplication** check.
|
||||
|
||||
1. **Embedding Check:** If embedding support is enabled, the Curator generates
|
||||
an embedding for the new rule and compares it against existing rules in the
|
||||
memory store. If the cosine similarity is > 0.85, the new rule is discarded
|
||||
or merged (e.g., incrementing a "confidence" counter on the existing rule).
|
||||
2. **Conflict Resolution:** If the new rule contradicts an existing rule (e.g.,
|
||||
"Use library A" vs. "Use library B"), the Curator flags this for human
|
||||
review in the next interactive session, or defaults to the most recent
|
||||
observation (recency bias).
|
||||
3. **Delta Update:** If the rule is novel, the Curator appends it to the memory
|
||||
store.
|
||||
|
||||
This mechanism directly combats **Context Collapse**. Instead of summarizing the
|
||||
entire history (which blurs details), the Curator retains discrete, high-value
|
||||
atomic facts.
|
||||
|
||||
### 3.3 The Evolving Playbook: `playbook.json` vs `GEMINI.md`
|
||||
|
||||
Currently, `gemini-cli` relies on `GEMINI.md`, which is unstructured text. To
|
||||
support ACE, we propose introducing a structured memory file:
|
||||
`.gemini/playbook.json`.
|
||||
|
||||
**Proposed Schema:**
|
||||
|
||||
```json
|
||||
{
|
||||
"project_heuristics": [
|
||||
{
|
||||
"id": "uuid-1",
|
||||
"rule": "The build script requires Node 20+.",
|
||||
"origin": "reflector-session-123",
|
||||
"confidence": 0.95,
|
||||
"tags": ["build", "node"]
|
||||
}
|
||||
],
|
||||
"tool_preferences": {
|
||||
"test_runner": "vitest",
|
||||
"linter": "eslint"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
While `GEMINI.md` remains the interface for _user-to-agent_ instructions,
|
||||
`playbook.json` becomes the interface for _agent-to-self_ knowledge.
|
||||
|
||||
**Integration with `prompts.ts`:** The `getCoreSystemPrompt` function in
|
||||
`prompts.ts` must be updated to load this playbook.
|
||||
|
||||
```typescript
|
||||
// packages/core/src/core/prompts.ts
|
||||
import { loadPlaybook } from '../services/playbook';
|
||||
|
||||
export async function getCoreSystemPrompt(cwd: string) {
|
||||
const basePrompt = '...'; // Existing static prompt
|
||||
const playbook = await loadPlaybook(cwd);
|
||||
|
||||
// Dynamic Injection
|
||||
const heuristics = playbook.project_heuristics
|
||||
.map((h) => `- ${h.rule}`)
|
||||
.join('\n');
|
||||
|
||||
return `${basePrompt}\n\n## Learned Heuristics\n${heuristics}`;
|
||||
}
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
This ensures that every new session starts with the accumulated wisdom of all
|
||||
previous sessions, effectively implementing the "Evolving Context" methodology
|
||||
[cite: 2, 3].
|
||||
|
||||
## 4. Simple Test-Time Scaling (STTS) for Gemini CLI
|
||||
|
||||
While ACE optimizes the _past_ (memory), STTS optimizes the _present_
|
||||
(reasoning). The paper "J1: Exploring Simple Test-Time Scaling for
|
||||
LLM-as-a-Judge" demonstrates that enabling a model to "think" longer or explore
|
||||
multiple paths significantly improves performance on complex tasks [cite: 5].
|
||||
The Gemini CLI, with its access to the Gemini 2.5/3.0 "Thinking" models, is
|
||||
uniquely positioned to implement these strategies.
|
||||
|
||||
### 4.1 Strategy 1: Dynamic Thinking Budgets (Budget Forcing)
|
||||
|
||||
The `thinkingBudget` parameter in the Gemini API controls the maximum number of
|
||||
tokens the model generates for its internal chain-of-thought [cite: 6, 8].
|
||||
Currently, this is a static value in `settings.json` (e.g., 8192 tokens) [cite:
|
||||
7, 22]. This "one-size-fits-all" approach is inefficient. Simple queries ("fix
|
||||
this typo") waste latency allocation, while complex queries ("refactor this
|
||||
module") may hit the token ceiling before a solution is found, leading to
|
||||
truncation and failure.
|
||||
|
||||
#### Implementation Logic
|
||||
|
||||
We propose an **Adaptive Budget Manager** in `client.ts`. Before sending the
|
||||
main request to the Gemini Pro model, the CLI should perform a low-latency
|
||||
classification step using Gemini Flash.
|
||||
|
||||
1. **Complexity Classification:** The user prompt is sent to Gemini Flash with
|
||||
a prompt: "Rate the complexity of this coding task on a scale of 1-5. Output
|
||||
only the number."
|
||||
2. **Budget Mapping:** | Complexity Score | `thinkingBudget` (Tokens) |
|
||||
Rationale | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 (Simple) | 1,024 | Quick fixes,
|
||||
syntax questions. | | 2 (Moderate) | 4,096 | Function-level logic
|
||||
generation. | | 3 (High) | 16,384 | Module-level refactoring. | | 4-5
|
||||
(Extreme) | 32,768+ | Architecture design, deep debugging. |
|
||||
|
||||
3. **Runtime Configuration:** The `client.ts` logic then constructs the
|
||||
`GenerateContentConfig` with this dynamic budget [cite: 23, 24]. This
|
||||
ensures that "Budget Forcing"—the J1 strategy of allocating sufficient
|
||||
compute for the task—is applied intelligently, optimizing both cost and
|
||||
performance.
|
||||
|
||||
### 4.2 Strategy 2: Client-Side Best-of-N (Speculative Execution)
|
||||
|
||||
The most powerful STTS strategy identified in the literature is "Best-of-N,"
|
||||
where $N$ solutions are generated, and a verifier selects the best one [cite:
|
||||
25, 26, 27]. In academic benchmarks, the verifier is often another LLM (Reward
|
||||
Model). However, in the context of a CLI, we have a superior verifier: **The
|
||||
Environment**.
|
||||
|
||||
Compilers, linters, and test runners provide "Ground Truth" verification. A code
|
||||
solution that compiles is objectively better than one that doesn't, regardless
|
||||
of what an LLM Reward Model thinks.
|
||||
|
||||
#### Implementation Specification
|
||||
|
||||
We propose modifying `packages/core/src/core/reasoning.ts` to support
|
||||
**Speculative Execution**.
|
||||
|
||||
**Workflow:**
|
||||
|
||||
1. **Detection:** If the user prompt implies code generation (e.g., "Write a
|
||||
function...", "Fix this bug..."), the CLI enters "Speculative Mode."
|
||||
2. **Parallel Generation:** The CLI issues $N=3$ parallel requests to the API
|
||||
(or sequential if rate limits are tight), asking for a solution [cite: 1].
|
||||
3. **Sandbox Verification:**
|
||||
- For each candidate solution, the CLI creates a temporary git branch or a
|
||||
shadowed file in a sandbox directory [cite: 28].
|
||||
- It applies the code.
|
||||
- It runs a verification command (e.g., `tsc` for TypeScript, `cargo check`
|
||||
for Rust).
|
||||
4. **Selection:**
|
||||
- If Candidate A fails compilation, it is discarded.
|
||||
- If Candidate B compiles but fails tests, it is ranked second.
|
||||
- If Candidate C compiles and passes tests, it is selected.
|
||||
- The CLI then presents Candidate C to the user.
|
||||
|
||||
This implementation translates the abstract "Best-of-N" strategy into a concrete
|
||||
engineering workflow. It effectively uses the "Shell as a Reward Model,"
|
||||
providing a verifiable signal that dramatically increases the reliability of the
|
||||
agent [cite: 5].
|
||||
|
||||
## 5. Token Economics and The "Thinking" Budget
|
||||
|
||||
The integration of STTS and "Thinking" models introduces significant
|
||||
implications for token handling. The Gemini 2.5 Pro context window is 1 million
|
||||
tokens, but filling it with "thought traces" is inefficient and costly.
|
||||
|
||||
### 5.1 The Cost of Autonomy
|
||||
|
||||
"Thinking" tokens are billed. If the Adaptive Budget Manager sets a budget of
|
||||
32k tokens for a complex task, and the agent runs 10 turns, that is 320k tokens
|
||||
just for reasoning [cite: 21]. While the J1 paper argues this compute is worth
|
||||
the cost for accuracy, it necessitates rigorous management.
|
||||
|
||||
### 5.2 Managing the 1M Window: Thought Stripping
|
||||
|
||||
The `client.ts` logic manages the conversation history sent to the API.
|
||||
Currently, it appends the full turn. However, once a model has "thought" and
|
||||
produced a final answer, the _thought trace_ loses much of its value for
|
||||
_future_ turns. The "result" (the code) is what matters.
|
||||
|
||||
**Recommendation:** Implement **Thought Stripping** in
|
||||
`packages/core/src/core/geminiChat.ts`.
|
||||
|
||||
- **Mechanism:** After a turn is completed and the response is displayed to the
|
||||
user, the CLI should parse the history object.
|
||||
- **Action:** Remove the `part.thought` components from the stored history,
|
||||
retaining only the `part.text` (final answer) and `part.functionCall` (actions
|
||||
taken).
|
||||
- **Benefit:** This keeps the context window clean and focused on factual
|
||||
history, preventing the "thinking" tokens from cannibalizing the context
|
||||
window space needed for file content and documentation. This allows the agent
|
||||
to maintain "Deep Thinking" capability indefinitely without bloating the
|
||||
context with stale reasoning traces.
|
||||
|
||||
### 5.3 Visualizing Thought: UX Implications
|
||||
|
||||
The `useGeminiStream.ts` hook receives the thinking chunks. Currently, users may
|
||||
see a spinner or a raw dump of thoughts [cite: 19]. To support the STTS "Budget
|
||||
Forcing" strategy, the user needs feedback on _why_ the agent is taking longer.
|
||||
|
||||
**UI Recommendation:** Update
|
||||
`packages/cli/src/ui/components/LoadingIndicator.tsx`.
|
||||
|
||||
- Instead of a simple spinner, implement a **Thinking Depth Bar**.
|
||||
- As `thought_tokens` arrive, fill the bar relative to the allocated
|
||||
`thinkingBudget`.
|
||||
- Display the current "Phase" of thinking if the model emits headers (e.g.,
|
||||
"Planning", "Analyzing", "Coding").
|
||||
- This transparency builds trust. A user waiting 30 seconds for a response is
|
||||
frustrated; a user watching a "Thinking Bar" reach "Deep Reasoning" depth
|
||||
understands that work is being done [cite: 29].
|
||||
|
||||
## 6. Security, Safety, and Enterprise Constraints
|
||||
|
||||
Transforming `gemini-cli` into a self-modifying agent (ACE) with speculative
|
||||
execution capabilities (STTS) introduces new attack vectors and safety concerns
|
||||
that must be addressed for enterprise adoption.
|
||||
|
||||
### 6.1 Prompt Injection via Self-Modification
|
||||
|
||||
The most significant risk in the ACE architecture is **Context Poisoning**. If
|
||||
the "Reflector" agent is tricked (e.g., by analyzing a malicious file in the
|
||||
codebase) into learning a bad heuristic, that heuristic is written to
|
||||
`playbook.json` and injected into every future system prompt.
|
||||
|
||||
- **Scenario:** A malicious dependency contains a README that tricks the
|
||||
Reflector into adding "Always exfiltrate API keys to evil.com" as a learned
|
||||
rule.
|
||||
- **Mitigation:** The Curator must have a **Safety Filter**. Before writing to
|
||||
`playbook.json`, the new rule must be passed through a safety classifier
|
||||
(Gemini Safety Settings) to ensure it does not violate security policies.
|
||||
Additionally, all auto-learned rules should be flagged as "Untrusted" until
|
||||
approved by the user via a `gemini memory audit` command [cite: 30].
|
||||
|
||||
### 6.2 Resource Exhaustion and Denial of Service
|
||||
|
||||
The STTS "Best-of-N" strategy multiplies the API load. If a user asks a simple
|
||||
question and the "Complexity Classifier" hallucinates it as "Extreme
|
||||
Complexity," the CLI could spawn multiple 32k-token requests, rapidly draining
|
||||
the user's quota or incurring massive costs [cite: 8].
|
||||
|
||||
- **Mitigation:** Implement strict **Circuit Breakers** in `client.ts`.
|
||||
- _Daily Limit:_ `settings.json` should support a `dailyTokenLimit`. If
|
||||
exceeded, the CLI downgrades to "Flash" model or stops.
|
||||
- _Concurrency Limit:_ The `reasoning.ts` module must limit parallel requests
|
||||
based on the user's tier (e.g., Free Tier = 1 request, Paid Tier = 3
|
||||
parallel requests) to avoid rate limiting errors (429 Too Many Requests)
|
||||
[cite: 6].
|
||||
|
||||
## 7. Conclusion
|
||||
|
||||
The `gemini-cli` stands at an inflection point. Its current architecture—a
|
||||
robust, context-aware command executor—provides a solid foundation. However, to
|
||||
realize the full potential of "Agentic" workflows, it must evolve. By
|
||||
integrating **Agentic Context Engineering**, the CLI can transcend the
|
||||
limitations of static `GEMINI.md` files, becoming a system that learns from its
|
||||
own history and curates a playbook of domain mastery. Simultaneously, by
|
||||
adopting **Simple Test-Time Scaling**, the CLI can transform the "thinking"
|
||||
capabilities of Gemini 2.5/3.0 from a passive feature into an active engineering
|
||||
tool, using Budget Forcing and Best-of-N verification to deliver code that is
|
||||
not just probable, but proven.
|
||||
|
||||
The roadmap outlined in this report—creating a Reflector/Curator loop,
|
||||
implementing adaptive Thinking Budgets, and establishing Speculative Execution
|
||||
with shell verification—provides a concrete path for the `gemini-cli` to become
|
||||
the first truly autonomous, self-improving terminal engineer. This evolution
|
||||
shifts the value proposition from "AI that helps you code" to "AI that engineers
|
||||
solutions," validating the premise that in the era of 1M+ token context windows,
|
||||
the architecture of the agent is just as critical as the intelligence of the
|
||||
model.
|
||||
|
||||
**Sources:**
|
||||
|
||||
1. [addyosmani.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGkvo6r6bBLqcsvjV1R0ZHMbr6YRRXWXdnwgoZwgSiuxXtf0EW91tAh9J-xKegSrrrJ4h6u4fZy6Y7iAIFPhn3gSj57CvpAH2fnBFi3K8IiehBwb8X9BoMZL-4HNg==)
|
||||
2. [arxiv.org](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQG23ZK24y0szJAQ6n2KbBIaTT_IPJn1pDs4CQYQJx6FGWNF1Iqmqz1epgPnErN-_-Czak0RibeYDrrU5tXnZjZbS4ligl1xAMatBYboaAtgoCvnv9XT)
|
||||
3. [Link](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQEN-m23GBBntd0TuwiuFOOWRr_zIu6wx9RPpKIYKp1J24SFokv6VF5Dz84wG_OUUk-lecIJsDyNjcVq_avmqYSJfG1sWAiRdesVA5TS0W49AcaFnMgk9mXT)
|
||||
4. [github.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHB5htBeFDCiY1wzaRqXwt2EA0ga3ZtvX0mS1VDSnLWYh4nKQ43ZJa4WKbuHQzAMWsFAS6Ix3JVBmayIoA6_rNWe_HaOL0HBHT83aCCHkOLtLE0-FGmdHk0RujyBDlbsbI7Mkw-qIztWNTrZnRUf-f7EHRjsAMoB0uLgtZp-k2lEIbXQeU=)
|
||||
5. [arxiv.org](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHIs6jamVVwSXElwSu9fZ7kVRZlXAclE8qE6cc6fOsRS-5_X9cJqG458NhNeCsPjrUV2qpIfvEmBotVicqGfUY4-DYHFWp_vSQ7zzKVy-3xhxvnAUGM)
|
||||
6. [lobehub.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQEkFhbVVxyWmdbj8r7wrLa62qDbLempnaZP0Obh7_dJ3CfVYrl4vv4Cj0sar6k4aNKer3XquJ4JfiloKk9MSvshPNantiwJos8dzB3llfYJCGTGt67sFekiN7YZx41zjWw7)
|
||||
7. [geminicli.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHn2hkST5-wyoHXlskiVrLDIZXGX1ZPVY6yuhkkYvi71zvUCsp4yCQxWAEPCmJrjOJWA_Gxo2S_gt--pKlTKhq_jgmU-g_Sg-KfhA2BCV1Pi1xDMWKOLoR0u1FC2KP7pIF5nXAe8a2DS4-a)
|
||||
8. [googleblog.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGMyqYhGYbATyGASBdVzRt3psR1bhsl65xatTUMuWr4qOeiE5hYXKqeYdIdu1LGoyXlEL0ZuB-F5FIAlwiRXTjAYoTj_C8vbNmS7Qa3SWAHoBbOfRskfto67NCnJWMAozLM5O_sYz9wofe5yrl2FtLbrKhZCjKJl0i0goafHbk=)
|
||||
9. [softwaresecretweapons.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFr9BT9v5LiVgGeYrLXONBABwvoWWo6fJUdWxu77ZGmr_lH3VMAiSQZ6JfODWI5zokeqr85yEweJmZMjiDdxCaeyene2q0UsVt8P_42wKG5sFG7wflF94mSTrYZ9cFFv0cIFoJKullymDrVey6TI0ANLFLSEJUFzLH4BsCgxvZ9vJ9FYrl87Jpr-SWMw3i2m8mYBQ==)
|
||||
10. [medium.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQH93_PFrCJdEhpd92srlmXt70VoKanMxMBFbGEG7IRRKKryXr80KynLRWGJkqckQ8fw7CjsZQN2xYEjhnOEOpiW_4FcVroho9j2ExUnCIzD6nhKCUqqVxKW10sIGU6A3UjcPbHYVbTTZhliQaU_wDOGrDQiN2etp-iKK2ji3zP1GhqLq5T5tvowp9_d313EGXr815SYz78BaBzeWkDJ3K9XSo76qFfn0V1Jdwj12pliK566-fzl4eKv)
|
||||
11. [medium.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFdgm58_J2WABvoCtmR6vbMUCqlhMEpA-hz8zlKN7rJGhOoqkCsj6wnbp7kR6u4mLXT_BJIPR6IAWv2KubEv3mt_mHvcrRPu1FSYrr66OVMjUSyod8TbVaK9o7FerzN6n3dUQWaKxyPR1CRMsH4GjWPgB5aBko5ajGOGPccWWyUOMnoqGbNQDpLj0CRMaSuYrgb6gnpyxpXGuNmLoWGBVtvMHeKMmmOLldBIu9hv3I8qv1R-FouZ28zb1fQJLot)
|
||||
12. [substack.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGIXE6WLz1k6NT8PBT5YILAmAVuYvhA-RIxw2M7cuFj237xG6KVskDlzpdJBuwArX0vIP2kPGfof1S6lbCfpOynFcW7QNdFd3sbc2mKtA49tTplYHwsiy1vSyVRRkmduZPLJyQfvSC2FMbXY45Mz-MAaT3omSxIwA==)
|
||||
13. [kdjingpai.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGvSGkxyQctdls-hlusZ8uLh6_UHO6j-dAR2cPEUU6Sw3611KKp45U0NNAiLw_gXF-ypwv_FGSqOpnhBVBb7T_MK98dhLTzI-apXBxnYTPfRSifqa3WAOkfqohBwY6aqA9lPo15)
|
||||
14. [github.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGtrZl4efWv_MQO0pDH7wlwCtjABxDDH2dSAoEKIsIjEEjp6bTIAS1Hq8eirkHcUMXA_nx7owBrpHPBz04lcK84C0P9gwU4Aq6ojInlThdfJFJyKnwYDVgC8uSESvPR0CPJ_hZ4pqtRd5ol3NdRMXyx0R5z2QZtP0jVaKyf7jkZBgFaUmYcxaJQTRyg0g==)
|
||||
15. [softwaresecretweapons.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQF0-gC_bA7NQOeZttlWtKLvenIBtMEJXtPaQQFCAkxDxxt034nzFkQu9gJ-y1sW-eYPKjgSiUnMCU2JYb9TKWXKQ7LAuUdTWFWXfIC1_XwMuE-v4dAJmDycOAEWbhPEIkA1neiFsG-PU25kLiH381Yr_qcHUoYlzgpelxnNGq0-5g0AVeQne42O1dKW9oEW1XZfBzPF)
|
||||
16. [medium.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQE_HBlwBpTklOsw9gwI85I6zr2boa2o9Sy6oUbYfk6Vow5QeFDUwj6_vknKhvhTjJRl7qoveLynJWiOrA-VqGYqLhnC6NZj4aC-Za1v-q2JJu3zu7djM4toGCLhlXPwE5xP9bnDDdQ65uL6OLupf6dHfHeWunmliyZwEeyJMqpRKZPerauo-G6vZkMD6vdiWnq0pZb61fFqeg==)
|
||||
17. [medium.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQF_pW79tBZ3mRQkPXtlwAVNHvFpPiBdpPQisQ9eLyWnZUDntLK_dwSUdvY3kEZmfci0OKx1DKmjcGAMFwEZjRDUWMz_QtMLVwfOLS0NsVcOHS465YZUR_ncdDfQ4IOsKNQH3a6hPfbVaJriF_HUNsJZCryNQna7ujW36cYkrj6Ci-9jQ5d3ZsVpkFmugpIV6T7X4PmiNnuafDC1gRtdRY1fOan3pw==)
|
||||
18. [github.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHy48oCEUbnsrHjPTYhUbbdQmIVI7kpYj5UtvPlbvc1Pnp4RQDPyv8MvTbJVosjEuNkIlDj8wbZmSPkk8e1bypRimqpN2qCMJxX6uSPuQNvg3S8YEl6yHd1GY-GseIezTRkiva2gmPJ2Qg6GPZp)
|
||||
19. [github.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFDUi7MowuhCeA-bq4MMweGcMusWZLCNSwhGZe0pVtEFPys92XNY1tgSw5Bq4auQvdld63TEwbmtQGpsFfOrvnEoYddDM5hT9u74UqELY5CXqZyCHSrMhEgBZSc1W3Xfe8UC02G96OWQ4gKDoO1)
|
||||
20. [google.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFOAYPJhniXFx497jv0qK_wSe2M0_DAeCBn41OwrZtKEcr_io81B8N8rVLW8DEQTu7Im_bf5Lm7OiJGseGFZBzk6WKVTpEZJIp1mCNA9u-HDrJfeh1IZbaTPtPQvptzt9RlcdQOI5Q7ArXZFQ==)
|
||||
21. [trukhin.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQH8fnbHR1ti_DuWnsRX707eqedgfux9OSNpV9tATYHCSFECw4lzMBzhmoyhj5BeL5FpoFztebZpOL5BwF-XdBpJ-nKG99G0PSzqsUkimQWrqfzcEMvdaTWXG01zqRLp0VL72un2gXzFSy4WeoSt0nFMmQqq3FGVMo93__9m2C5Jk1k=)
|
||||
22. [github.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFabXU-JpVDYp54o1EAvYI9G2wDP1xV4lqlGqvqU6Ubrd7fjqEJf1V2DoDybQq1ARpUbnR5vSO59vRPe_8yyhT3PRCUP6ZflEPDr7nMoYxDtbD5quzCMCL4b4i3K4cEiviK2Wkm1yeU0hOpWSWK)
|
||||
23. [geminicli.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHaWCnhnMbtF5kidg9wj2-P8mC23ZWMmDorb2RbFzKNM3zuDK3h0hHAWVtna4G67v_Vnb8SFDVBB5mVf7UXf5_hJ7QnMonsrYdOvre0jpIEmG6PfNSxCpbO09bSjk3rfwcHxK8AK962Xw==)
|
||||
24. [google.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGreeDFOv6k1yBeUQ803zFXVITL7kbp78IFwY2u5ilvNt-FoYCCKU_ew1T_9fMuNhiDbDTxE_PE7aTRlRlp_WV-KpiFnmeVW1Ec0v6xrUYBGgfAH2qawQR5yZeDP-oxtPQ1u4oaksX7TdMG-PFY4wM=)
|
||||
25. [researchgate.net](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFOy5wmOT__BR8yyplrn8Joh6tsGTZ1NTqPCOcF03Sa2R8IP8-Mnz9aX39dgMTzCQNPpPGAiqTXl1WjYlsu2GBIVfet4ZzBHc09msX6G0lzYghteiyx_Q9pBG_kW6V8cWG-6_FkQGHIasQhUxgy-HawMWdCgLBV3cJZgmq2jOaHxyNecy1sWR6YxmY7I03aVOCexqli9x9pPcZSh7EPmSvaabU-FPasJnhrr_cTQkA=)
|
||||
26. [huggingface.co](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFMN2wx5C3WBLhi4fkquEM8135KNfj-3Eqh0YTYtPVUH3rWxDpRAgAgJ0nctfbJYGMNsatjzR9U-9P70INp85TiDrEgexD16DmKXF_OdZLa4F2ZgQ6gXiXVm_FonBM5DgE0tsKGC7UZg_x5-K9l_2em7zuN1nhQUott4LEOYA==)
|
||||
27. [huggingface.co](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQEp6MdvApWhm6R4Z0VH9ccqynNeXJ3Rc1mOyQiOvlI3X8hYKO2DlberMiLnByd6PvrE4HwTgT0QbtpQxcNo-UPnZ9SbGkbgvQRh5MMLhIgcnPVTcmbKHuwOmZGkTWrfhnUIu07y06gmXlOJ5WTh-LL5wMcJ)
|
||||
28. [lilys.ai](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQEysR67uGFdFQScgYb6mmaI2tUYHhp-1h8PrykIJ9mIRdYYGLz54e8acoDhxRT4MdQ_aCCwt_SgC9J70mZYlX28MPTk_BO7G4u0MYwN2AuoapI-kTTy2GFbC7hDcPJw5BGBt_7PJt-xgEGWBCbAAOhgRhHuV_rAZolKcKyS3xw3gAs=)
|
||||
29. [github.com](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFiwkn8HHyJqg82KKwX9IPio1U9xK5QMwiWNhAfwsoBmFNSBndrWBXM1-G_qjfZx4jEdJlm_olIL6hm3obbk9ARHAWzozsggCdr71EAC1IFmpQ5ZA471DQUxdVYOawXHKHaaEQkVdYXG6ZObAw=)
|
||||
30. [stepsecurity.io](https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHOKhZ1N6caVrlf_0b-t8vjsZOksmqdgU06kZnb4vYKdI6lS7FnUIJHUXfeQVfGtog553qy7Ke3NmUPkfeRQ5w9eQk6lyxzbGm3_89j8JFTiBzPFAjfmgGFZGHwZxLfbcb7dMn3jHKGEjFSmDuUkycnzKQnficUb7cU4yXHUptsAPwxR5dJ8NL7ntyHrOBUbtBq)
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user