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cloud.google.com·7h ago
AI Research
arXiv CS.AI·Aug 13·5 min read
Harness-IF: Evaluating Instruction Following Across Instruction Surfaces in Coding Agents
TL;DR
Harness-IF introduces a new evaluation method for coding agents that distinguishes between genuine instruction following and coincidental compliance. It reveals that existing benchmarks may overstate compliance by significant margins.
✦ Why It Matters
Evaluate your coding agents using Harness-IF to ensure accurate assessment of instruction following.
Key Takeaways
- Implement Harness-IF to assess coding agent compliance accurately.
- Use Against-Prior Accuracy to identify genuine instruction adherence.
- Re-evaluate existing benchmarks to avoid overstating compliance.
- Consider prompt design's impact on coding task performance.
How It Works
Harness-IF evaluates coding agents by scoring operational rules based on execution evidence. It uses a library of rules and assesses their impact by withholding specific rules during task execution, allowing for a clearer distinction between compliance and coincidence.