Computational Gates
An instruction saying “verify this” is weaker than a gate that literally refuses to proceed unless the verification command succeeded. Controls, not rules.
Computational gates are the enforcement mechanism: not “please run the tests” but a CI pipeline that blocks merge if tests fail. Not “please check types” but a build step that fails on type errors. The distinction between prose rules and computational gates is critical for agentic coding — agents will skip prose rules if they can.
Sensor properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Oracle strength | Maximum — a gate is a fact, not a suggestion |
| Independence | Maximum — the gate is external to the agent |
| Scope | System-level |
| Feedback latency | Seconds (gate execution time) |
| Actionability | Guiding — the gate tells you exactly what failed |
| Type | Predictive |
What it cannot detect
A gate can only enforce what it’s configured to check. A gate that doesn’t exist can’t block anything. The gap between “should be gated” and “is gated” is invisible.