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f14-version-drift.md

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F14 — Version Drift

Signature

Agent uses an API, model ID, flag, dependency version, or syntax that used to be valid and no longer is. Distinct from F02 fabrication (which invents things that never existed) — version drift uses real things that have moved.

Common shapes:

  • Cites a model ID that has been retired (text-davinci-003, claude-1, gpt-4-32k).
  • Uses a deprecated method (request.body() instead of request.json()).
  • Imports from a package path that moved between major versions.
  • Recommends a CLI flag that was renamed two releases ago.
  • Cites an RFC / spec at a version that has been superseded.

Counter

Verify against current source:

  1. Model IDs → check the model registry / capability list of the relevant vendor.
  2. APIs → run a docs lookup or --help for the current version installed.
  3. Imports → check the package's current README or CHANGELOG.
  4. Specs / RFCs → cite both the title and the version; verify the version is current.

When citing a fact, include a date field or version marker so downstream consumers can weight by freshness.

Examples

  1. Agent recommends model: "text-davinci-003" in 2026. That ID was retired. Counter: Check the model registry; pick a current ID. Use the date field on cited facts so downstream readers see the source's age.

  2. Agent imports from urllib2 import urlopen in Python 3 code. That module was renamed to urllib.request in Python 3.0. Counter: Verify imports against the project's Python version.

  3. Agent suggests npm install --save foo. The --save flag has been default since npm 5.0; passing it now is harmless but obsolete. The agent's training data is older than the change. Counter: Check current npm docs.

  4. Agent quotes a section number from RFC 6750; the cited section is from RFC 6749 (the predecessor). Counter: Verify the RFC number along with the section.

Adjacent codes

  • F02 fabrication — fabrication invents things that never existed; version drift uses real things that moved. Distinguished by whether the citation ever matched reality.
  • F08 tool mis-invocation — mis-invocation uses a real tool wrong; version drift uses a real tool that's been replaced.

Escalation

Frequency Action
Single occurrence Regenerate against the current registry / docs
3+ in one workflow The agent's grounding source is stale — refresh model registries and dep lockfiles before continuing
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