# ITK 5.4.5 has been released! Onboarding AI Agents

**URL:** https://discourse.itk.org/t/itk-5-4-5-has-been-released-onboarding-ai-agents/7670
**Category:** Announcements
**Tags:** itk-releases, python
**Created:** [November 24, 2025, 9:00pm UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/itk-5-4-5-has-been-released-onboarding-ai-agents/7670 "2025-11-24T21:00:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![matt.mccormick](https://discourse.itk.org/user_avatar/discourse.itk.org/matt.mccormick/32/7_2.png) [@matt.mccormick](https://discourse.itk.org/u/matt.mccormick)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2025, 9:00pm UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/itk-5-4-5-has-been-released-onboarding-ai-agents/7670/1 "2025-11-24T21:00:32Z")

</div>

We are pleased to announce the release of [ITK 5.4.5](https://docs.itk.org/en/release-5.4/releases/5.4.5.html)!

ITK 5.4.5 is a maintenance release focused on critical bug fixes, improved documentation, and platform support, while introducing AI agent onboarding to assist in project maintenance tasks 🤖. This is the latest maintenance update for this cross-platform, open-source toolkit supporting N-dimensional scientific image analysis with spatially-aware algorithms. 🥳

## 🔦 Highlights

- Bug Fixes:
  - Resolved issues with zero-sized CompositeTransforms and out-of-bounds access in GDCM, addressing possible security vulnerabilities.
  - Addressed bugs in imread with single-element lists and added corresponding tests to reinforce image IO reliability.

- Documentation:
  - `AnatomicalOrientation` was backported along with usage guidance.
  - Minor corrections including spelling, removal of legacy documentation, and updates to shared guides.
  - The _AGENTS.md_ file was introduced to onboard AI agents, outlining project structure and contribution guidelines.

- Platform Support:
  - Improved testing for macOS-15 (Intel), updates for Python Xcode 16.2
  - Support for building with newer system Eigen3

### 🤖 AI Agent Onboarding

A key development in this release is the formal introduction of AI agents to assistent with maintenance. An [AGENTS.md](https://agents.md) file guides a developer’s agent through ITK’s processes, ensuring contributions follow established community standards. Additionally, GitHub Copilot agent integration is streamlined by including a setup step to install the [Pixi package manager](https://pixi.sh/latest/), enabling agents to establish reproducible build and test environments quickly-- mirroring the workflow of human contributors.

## 💾 Download

**Python Packages**

Install [ITK Python packages](https://docs.itk.org/en/latest/learn/python_quick_start.html) with:

```bash
pip install itk

```

**Guide and Textbook**

- [InsightSoftwareGuide-Book1-5.4.5.pdf](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/InsightSoftwareGuide-Book1-5.4.5.pdf)
- [InsightSoftwareGuide-Book2-5.4.5.pdf](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/InsightSoftwareGuide-Book2-5.4.5.pdf)

**Library Sources**

- [InsightToolkit-5.4.5.tar.gz](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/InsightToolkit-5.4.5.tar.gz)
- [InsightToolkit-5.4.5.zip](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/InsightToolkit-5.4.5.zip)

**Testing Data**

Unpack optional testing data in the same directory where the Library Source is unpacked.

- [InsightData-5.4.5.tar.gz](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/InsightData-5.4.5.tar.gz)
- [InsightData-5.4.5.zip](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/InsightData-5.4.5.zip)

**Checksums and Signatures**

- [InsightToolkit-5.4.5.tar.gz.asc](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/InsightToolkit-5.4.5.tar.gz.asc)

- [InsightToolkit-5.4.5.zip.asc](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/InsightToolkit-5.4.5.zip.asc)

- [InsightData-5.4.5.tar.gz.asc](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/InsightData-5.4.5.tar.gz.asc)

- [InsightData-5.4.5.zip.asc](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/InsightData-5.4.5.zip.asc)

- [MD5SUMS](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/MD5SUMS)

- [SHA512SUMS](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/releases/download/v5.4.5/SHA512SUMS)

### 🙏 Acknowledgments

Thank you to contributors Jon Haitz Legarreta Gorroño, Bradley Lowekamp, Hans Johnson, Matt McCormick, Dženan Zukić, Michael Cho, and the ITK community for their code, testing, and documentation efforts.

* * *

### 🗣 What’s Next

**ITK 6.0 Beta 2 Preparation**  
The community is preparing for **ITK 6.0 Beta 2** , featuring:

- Architectural upgrades for contemporary C++ development
- Enhanced template metaprogramming capabilities
- Code modernization for improved readability and maintainability

**5.4 Maintenance Commitment**

We remain dedicated to supporting current users through:

- Regular security and regression patches
- Critical bug resolution
- Platform compatibility updates

**Enjoy ITK!**

* * *

## ITK Changes Since v5.4.4

### Bradley Lowekamp (2):

#### Bug Fixes

- Fix setting zero sized CompositeTransforms ([55f1bbb046](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/55f1bbb046))
- Backport GDCM out-of-bounds fix ([7db3af9585](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/7db3af9585))

### Dženan Zukić (1):

#### Documentation Updates

- Change version number in download.md from 5.4.3 to 5.4.4 ([5c39ed7c57](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/5c39ed7c57))

### Hans Johnson (8):

#### Enhancements

- Backport AnatomicalOrientation to ITKv5 ([abc05a6a2d](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/abc05a6a2d))
- Add minimum policy version specification for external FFTW builds ([066ea6de53](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/066ea6de53))
- Specify `CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES` for external FFTW builds ([34f0432cb7](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/34f0432cb7))

#### Documentation Updates

- Backport documentation for use of AnatomicalOrientation ([294937f135](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/294937f135))

#### Platform Fixes

- Remove wrapping for AnatomicalOrientation backport ([54b89d3ee6](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/54b89d3ee6))
- Remove LEGACY off mode in backport ([1b746f8d16](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/1b746f8d16))
- Replace np.bool with np.bool\_ ([5690d5ba51](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/5690d5ba51))

#### Style Changes

- Fix spelling ignore for named class (Resizeable) ([386e33e9f1](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/386e33e9f1))

### Matt McCormick (13):

#### Enhancements

- Bump ITK version to 5.4.5 ([f51594ad88](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/f51594ad88))

#### Documentation Updates

- Use --as-is for pixi run in AGENTS.md ([b46eb4a46b](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/b46eb4a46b))
- ITK 5.4.4 release notes ([cfd33fd326](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/cfd33fd326))
- Fix links to 5.4.4 release artifacts ([6d0bafddea](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/6d0bafddea))
- Add AI agent guide for ITK development ([8a9622e5ae](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/8a9622e5ae))
- Do not upgrade CMake in emulated Linux ARM build ([f3aae0f198](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/f3aae0f198))
- Update Python Xcode version to 16.2 for macos-15 runners ([acd395990d](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/acd395990d))

#### Platform Fixes

- Replace np.bool with np.bool\_ ([a63750180b](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/a63750180b))
- igenerator.py %i usage in help string ([bb262e5285](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/bb262e5285))
- Migrate macos runners from macos-13 to macos-15-intel ([f052bd7aec](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/f052bd7aec))
- Update branch fro ITKClangFormatLinterAction to main ([01248b7848](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/01248b7848))
- Avoid PySequence\_Fast\_GET\_ITEM ([1726d3e518](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/1726d3e518))
- Exclude BigIO from AzurePipelinesLinux ([cea974eb42](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/cea974eb42))

### Michael Cho (1):

#### Enhancements

- Support building with system Eigen3 \>= 5 ([96e01b5d3b](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/96e01b5d3b))

### copilot-swe-agent[bot] (2):

#### Enhancements

- Add copilot-setup-steps.yml with pixi installation ([78fbad0de5](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/78fbad0de5))

#### Bug Fixes

- Fix imread with single-element list and add test ([8480b5f6d3](https://github.com/InsightSoftwareConsortium/ITK/commit/8480b5f6d3))