Wu Shixiong's Large Model Academy

Aug 21, 2026 · Artificial Intelligence

Beyond max_steps: How to Detect and Stop Stagnant Agent Loops

The article shows that merely limiting an Agent to a fixed number of steps (e.g., max_steps=8) cannot guarantee progress, and proposes a detailed trace‑based contract, fingerprinting, and soft‑stop criteria to reliably identify and halt loops where no new evidence is produced.