Proof-or-Stop: Verifiable Evidence-Gated Lifecycle Control for Autonomous Coding Agents

Jul 17, 2026

Researchers have introduced Proof-or-Stop Lifecycle Control, a method that ensures autonomous coding agents can only transition between lifecycle states (such as reviewed, tested, or DONE) when supported by fresh, mechanically verifiable evidence. In evaluations, the method achieved zero false-DONE outcomes in 10 scenarios and significantly reduced hidden-fail amplification compared to a naive loop. The approach is model-agnostic and host-neutral, treating agent outputs as claims until verified by admissible evidence.

Why it matters: This work addresses a key trust issue in autonomous software development by enforcing evidence-based gates, reducing the risk of unreliable agent outputs being accepted as completed work.

Full story at: arXiv Software Engineering ↗