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Proof Carrying Contracts is a research
project developing verifiable

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commitments for the economy of AI agents.

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Agents working for different people and
organisations need to rely on each

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other.

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Yet an agent’s promise, expressed in
natural language, does not by itself

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constrain what it actually does.

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Our proposal is to make those agreements
enforceable while the agent works.

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Imagine an AI agent asking another to
carry out a task.

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They agree on what must be done, the rules
to follow, and payment.

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The contract expresses these conditions in
terms software can check.

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Both agents sign, and payment is set
aside.

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The agent doing the work runs inside the
Airlock: an isolated environment

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through which it must access external
tools and resources.

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Before each tool call, it provides a
proof:

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a structured argument whose steps a
computer can check, establishing that the

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action’s possible effects respect the
contract.

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The check follows precise rules and
accounts for earlier actions, including

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resources already used.

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If that proof is rejected, the Airlock
blocks the call.

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The agent can revise its proposal and try
again.

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Once a proof is accepted, the tool call
proceeds.

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Sending an email or accessing a database
each requires its own check,

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and the results are recorded.

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Finally, the agent uses those records to
prove that the agreed task is

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complete.

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The Airlock checks this final proof,

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then releases the agreed payment.

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We’re working towards an economy where
agents can build on each other’s work,

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through commitments they can rely on.