Model routing is infrastructure, not a dropdown

Why agentic software needs an intent layer between tools and providers.

Coding agents do not send one kind of request. A rename, a distributed-systems investigation, a README edit, and a visual QA pass ask for different kinds of intelligence.

A reliable router treats model selection as an infrastructure concern. It classifies the job, applies a policy, watches provider health, and preserves a stable client contract.

The result is not merely lower cost. It is a system where the user can stay focused on the work instead of continuously operating a model marketplace.