draft-chang-agent-token-efficient
A Token-efficient Data Layer for Agentic Communication
Agentic communication fundamentally differs from traditional machine
communication in that its outputs are recursively consumed and
interpreted by Large Language Models (LLMs). This unique
characteristic makes efficient use of the model's limited context a
critical requirement. However, current agent communication protocols
- such as the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) -
often suffer from token or context bloat, caused by redundant schema
definitions, verbose message structures, and inefficient capability
exchanges. As a result, a substantial number of tokens are
unnecessarily consumed within the model’s context window.
To address these issues, this draft defines the Agentic Data
Optimization Layer (ADOL), a general and foundational data-layer for
agent communication. ADOL introduces a set of backward-compatible
optimizations, including schema deduplication through JSON
references, adaptive inclusion of optional fields, controllable
response verbosity, and retrieval-based selection mechanisms.
Collectively, these mechanisms reduce token consumption, enhance
context efficiency, and provide a scalable foundation for future
agent communication frameworks.