## Release notes summary GitLab is introducing intelligent model selection for GitLab Duo Agent Platform, eliminating the need for users to manually choose an AI model. The platform intelligently selects the most appropriate model per request based on task type, complexity, and real-time model availability, always within the set of permitted models. This means developers and teams get the best-fit model automatically, with full transparency into which model handled each request and the flexibility to override at any time. Administrators and owners retain complete control over which models are allowed, ensuring governance and compliance requirements are never compromised. ## Overview Introduce an intelligent "auto" model selection capability so that users don't have to manually choose a model. The platform selects the most appropriate model per request based on the use case, task complexity, and real-time model availability, always within the set of models allowed by namespace/group owners (SaaS) or admins (Self-Managed). This is the long-term direction agreed across the model selection team: feature teams get the most capable model for each feature, and end users get a sensible default without having to reason about model choice. ## Goal / North star A user creating an agent or flow, or using agentic chat, gets the right model selected automatically for the task, with full transparency and the ability to override - while owners/admins retain control over which models are permitted. ## Scope: offerings This must work across all three deployment models: * **GitLab.com + Dedicated (SaaS):** user- and namespace-level selection; allowlist set by group/namespace owners. * **Self-Managed:** allowlist + approval controlled by admins; auto picks only from admin-approved models. ## Background — what already exists (the foundation) * Per-task `small` / `large` / `default` routing via `unit_primitives.yml` (AI Gateway [!4925](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/modelops/applied-ml/code-suggestions/ai-assist/-/merge_requests/4925)). * Rails-side + UI work to let users and admins set preferred model size per task: gitlab-org/gitlab#594200. * Multi-model selection for admins shipped in **19.1** — admins can allow more than one model per feature, which is the precondition that makes auto possible. * Today, custom flows **cannot** select a model: per the Custom flow YAML schema, the `model` field is unsupported and the model is fixed by group/ instance model provider settings. Closing that gap is in scope. ## Proposed capabilities 1. **Selection/routing service** — picks a model per request using: task type/ use case, request complexity, and real-time model availability/health. 2. **Allowlist enforcement** — selection is always constrained to permitted models; owners on SaaS, admins on Self-Managed. Honors all existing policies. 3. **"Auto" as a first-class option** in model pickers across surfaces (agentic chat, flows, agents), settable as the default. 4. **Per-feature model settings** — any Duo feature with a feature-level model setting should support auto. DAP first, given it spans many small/large models. 5. **Model recommendation at design time** — when creating an agent or flow, recommend the model for that task (surfacing the routing logic earlier). 6. **Custom flow schema support** — extend the schema so flows can use auto / per-flow selection (currently blocked). 7. **Transparency** — show which model actually handled each request. 8. **Per-request override** — switch from auto to any allowed model at any time. 9. **Self-Managed admin approval flow** — auto operates strictly within the admin-approved set; admin keeps final control. 10. **Evaluation integration** — use the measurable eval ecosystem (CEF infra) to validate routing quality per feature and inform routing decisions. 11. **Observability** — metrics on routing decisions, cost, latency, and quality. ## Out of scope (for now) * Model onboarding/provider integration itself. * Credits/billing changes (flag as a dependency, not in this epic). ## Related * gitlab-org/gitlab#594200 * AI Gateway [!4925](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/modelops/applied-ml/code-suggestions/ai-assist/-/merge_requests/4925) * [19.1 multi-model admin selection](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/modelops/applied-ml/code-suggestions/ai-assist/-/merge_requests/4925)