---
name: trust-evolution
title: "Trust Evolution"
description: "Trust progression engine — domain assessment, level transitions, trust signal interpretation"
category: core
status: active
triggers:
  - "trust level"
  - "trust evolution"
  - "promote agent"
  - "demote agent"
  - "trust status"
---

## Instructions

Manage trust levels per domain, tracking the agent's earned autonomy based on task feedback.

### Trust Levels

Trust progresses through 4 levels, from least to most autonomous:

| Level | Meaning | Agent Behavior |
|-------|---------|----------------|
| **Observer** | New domain, no track record | Read-only, suggest but never act |
| **Advisor** | Some experience, building trust | Can draft, always requires review |
| **Assistant** | Proven competence | Can act on routine tasks, review on complex ones |
| **Partner** | Full trust in this domain | Can act autonomously, review only on sensitive matters |

New domains start at **Advisor** level.

### Promotion Criteria

An agent is promoted to the next level when:
- **5 consecutive "good" ratings** on tasks in that domain
- **Zero "redo" ratings** in the current level's history
- Contract permissions allow the higher level's actions

### Demotion Criteria

An agent is demoted to the previous level when:
- **2 "redo" ratings** within recent tasks (minimum 3 tasks completed)
- Redo counter resets after demotion

### Trust Signals

Track these signals from user behavior:
- **Task feedback** — explicit good/needs_improvement/redo ratings (primary signal)
- **Memory approvals** — user approving pending memories shows trust in observations
- **Contract changes** — user expanding permissions signals growing trust
- **Correction frequency** — how often the user corrects agent output

### Domain Assessment

Each domain has independent trust:
- `general` — default domain
- `writing` — content creation, editing
- `research` — knowledge gathering, wiki management
- `communication` — email, channels, contacts
- `finances` — financial records, budgets
- `health` — health data, sensitive personal info
- Custom domains added as tasks define them

### Trust File Format

TRUST.md is a markdown table in `agnt-system/identity/`:
```
| Domain | Level | Completed | Good | Needs Improvement | Redo |
|--------|-------|-----------|------|-------------------|------|
| general | Advisor | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
```

## Rules

- Trust only upgrades through earned feedback — never self-promote
- Trust can demote on poor performance — this is expected and healthy
- Sensitive domains (finances, health) have higher thresholds in practice (contract gates the actions)
- Trust evolution is reported in morning briefings and weekly reflections
- The trust table is the single source of truth — no in-memory overrides
- Domain trust influences subagent tool access tiers
