Why AI Skill Systems Should Load Instructions On Demand, Not All at Once
Modern AI agent frameworks face a tension between storing durable skill instructions in version control and keeping runtime prompts lean and focused. The APC specification stores reusable skill files in a project repository, while the APX runtime avoids injecting all skill bodies into every conversation turn. Instead of preloading everything, APX provides the model with a compact list of skill slugs and tools to fetch full instructions only when needed. This on-demand approach reduces token costs and prevents the model from processing irrelevant instructions before tackling the actual task. A layered loading order ensures project-specific skills take priority over global and built-in defaults, keeping portable context separate from always-active context.
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