Every harness will become a claw: where agent frameworks are headed

Sam Bhagwat, founder of the open-source TypeScript agent framework Mastra, discussed the evolving role of agent frameworks during a talk, emphasizing that every agent "harness" could transform into a "claw," a more autonomous and integrated tool. Originally, agents were defined by their ability to run loops, make tool calls, and produce structured outputs, but the paradigm is shifting towards harnesses that provide a broader set of capabilities, such as planning modes, skill execution, and subagents capable of browsing the web. Mastra itself evolved from a side project addressing memory compaction issues into a fully-fledged product, Mastra Code, which included built-in observational memory and other harness features. As these features became integral, the team extracted them into a standalone Harness class, allowing broader application beyond the original coding agent. Harnesses, once established, continuously expand their capabilities and become more valuable, eventually evolving into "claws" that autonomously operate across platforms like Slack or Discord, much like personal assistants that interact seamlessly in various settings. This progression from local coding agents to cloud-based claws signifies a shift in focus from sheer capability to user engagement and integration within everyday workflows.

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