Add AGENTS.md agent guidance with CLAUDE.md symlink and fix README drift

[glenn-jocher]

🛠️ Summary

Establishes AGENTS.md as the single source of agent guidance for this repo, converts CLAUDE.md to a relative symlink pointing at it, and fixes documentation drift found while verifying every claim against the current repo state.

📊 Changes

• AGENTS.md (new): Core Principles and PR Workflow sections, plus verified repo-specific Commands (uv install, local smoke test, per-model cog build/predict/push, CI-equivalent checks), Architecture (per-model layout and differences, push.yml main-only publish gating, cog predict traceback grep, replicate_metadata.py User-Agent and cover_image_url quirks), and Conventions (license headers via Ultralytics Actions, CI-applied formatting, Output.update_forward_refs requirement, new-model checklist, live-network notes).
• CLAUDE.md: now a relative symlink to AGENTS.md (ln -s AGENTS.md CLAUDE.md), replacing the standalone file.
• README.md: added the missing download.py entry to the structure diagram (the top-level model dirs showed only three of their four files), added replicate_metadata.py (a key deploy-pipeline file that was absent), and removed the Codecov badge — no workflow in this repo uploads coverage, so the badge pointed at data that never exists.
• requirements.txt: comment referenced a nonexistent export_models.py; now names the actual scripts (test_prediction.py, replicate_metadata.py).

🧪 Verification

• All facts in AGENTS.md checked against push.yml, ci.yml, format.yml, all nine cog.yaml/predict.py/download.py sets, replicate_metadata.py, and test_prediction.py.
• Ran the documented CI-equivalent checks locally: py_compile both scripts, test_prediction.py --help, replicate_metadata.py --dry-run, and the recursive cog.yaml YAML validation (9 files OK).
• Symlink verified: CLAUDE.md -> AGENTS.md (relative), git mode 120000.

🛠️ PR Summary

_{Made with ❤️ by Ultralytics Actions}

🌟 Summary

Adds a repo-wide AI agent guide and refreshes documentation to better support consistent, safe YOLO deployments on Replicate 🚀

📊 Key Changes

• Added a new AGENTS.md with detailed guidance for AI coding agents, including development principles, PR workflow, commands, architecture, CI/CD behavior, and repo conventions 🤖
• Replaced the old CLAUDE.md content with a symlink to AGENTS.md, making agent instructions reusable across tools 🔗
• Updated README.md to better reflect the current repo layout, including download.py, replicate_metadata.py, and the YOLO26 task structure 📚
• Removed the Codecov badge from the README since the repo does not use coverage reporting 🧹
• Updated requirements.txt comments to reference the current utility scripts accurately ✅

🎯 Purpose & Impact

• Improves onboarding for contributors and AI coding agents by centralizing accurate, up-to-date repository guidance 🧭
• Reduces maintenance duplication by making CLAUDE.md point to the shared AGENTS.md source of truth ✨
• Helps prevent regressions by documenting key build, test, deploy, and Replicate-specific workflows 🛡️
• Makes public documentation clearer for users deploying Ultralytics YOLO models to Replicate, especially the latest recommended YOLO26 family 📦

[UltralyticsAssistant]

👋 Hello @glenn-jocher, thank you for submitting a ultralytics/replicate 🚀 PR! This automated message is here to help ensure a seamless integration of your documentation updates, and an Ultralytics engineer will assist as needed. Please review the following checklist:

• ✅ Define a Purpose: Clearly explain the purpose of your fix or feature in your PR description, and link to any relevant issues. Ensure your commit messages are clear, concise, and adhere to the project's conventions.
• ✅ Synchronize with Source: Confirm your PR is synchronized with the ultralytics/replicate main branch. If it's behind, update it by clicking the 'Update branch' button or by running git pull and git merge main locally.
• ✅ Ensure CI Checks Pass: Verify all Ultralytics Continuous Integration (CI) checks are passing. If any checks fail, please address the issues.
• ✅ Update Documentation: Update the relevant documentation for any new or modified features.
• ✅ Add Tests: If applicable, include or update tests to cover your changes, and confirm that all tests are passing.
• ✅ Sign the CLA: Please ensure you have signed our Contributor License Agreement if this is your first Ultralytics PR by writing "I have read the CLA Document and I sign the CLA" in a new message.
• ✅ Minimize Changes: Limit your changes to the minimum necessary for your bug fix or feature addition. "It is not daily increase but daily decrease, hack away the unessential. The closer to the source, the less wastage there is." — Bruce Lee

For more guidance, please refer to our Contributing Guide. Don't hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions. Thank you for contributing to Ultralytics! 🚀

[UltralyticsAssistant]

🔍 PR Review

_{Made with ❤️ by Ultralytics Actions}

No actionable issues found. The PR cleanly centralizes agent guidance, preserves Claude compatibility via symlink, and keeps README/requirements documentation aligned with the current repository structure.

[UltralyticsAssistant]

🚀 Fantastic work, @glenn-jocher — this PR meaningfully improves the repo’s foundation for consistent, safe, and well-documented YOLO deployments on Replicate.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” — Abraham Lincoln

By adding AGENTS.md, aligning CLAUDE.md, refreshing the README around the current YOLO26 workflow, and cleaning up outdated references, this merge sharpens the tools contributors and AI coding agents rely on. The result is clearer onboarding, reduced duplication, and stronger guardrails for future development and deployment workflows.

Thanks for helping make the Ultralytics Replicate integration easier to understand, maintain, and build upon! 🙌