Context Is Infrastructure, Not Prompt Stuffing
Why retrieval engines must evolve to be task-aware.
Type
Architecture Note
Status
Published
Published
April 22, 2026
Systems
ace
The race for larger context windows has distracted from the fundamental problem of information density. A 2MB context window is useless if it is filled with 1.9MB of noise.
### Task-Aware Retrieval
We propose that retrieval systems should be deeply integrated with the agent's current plan. By analyzing the execution log *before* performing retrieval, we can filter sources that are irrelevant to the current subgoal.
### ACE Principles
The ACE (Context Engine) project implements three core filters:
1. **Structural Filter**: Does the source match the project schema?
2. **Temporal Filter**: Is this data recent enough for the decision?
3. **Functional Filter**: Does this source provide an interface the agent can actually use?