Project summary

A runtime safety layer that blocks harm via mutual recognition and five fundamental forces — permanently free, non-capturable, and built for the common good. This project is led by an independent creator with no institutional backing. All funding will go directly to compute, testing, documentation, and open release. The core mission is to keep FifthForce permanently free, non-capturable, and accessible to everyone — including low-income users and researchers worldwide.

What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?

The goal is to turn FifthForce from a working beta desktop prototype into a robust, publicly verifiable open-source ethical decision kernel that can sit in front of any LLM and enforce alignment intrinsically rather than through fragile rules or retraining.Over the next 4–6 months I will:

• Release the full codebase publicly under AGPLv3 + a Public Good Covenant (preventing corporate capture or burial).

• Implement missing modules (real-time field-signal ingestion and multi-terminal meld logic).

• Run systematic adversarial testing on multiple open models to verify invariant enforcement.

• Create clear documentation, a demo desktop app, and a zero-cost access tier for individuals and low-income users.

• Produce a public report on recognition-depth behavior and failure modes.

I have already built the core engine alone (Zenodo DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19187852 + U.S. Copyright Registration Case #1-5125981071). This funding round would allow me to harden, test, document, and ship it to the broader alignment community.

How will this funding be used?

I am requesting $8,000 total.Breakdown:

• $4,000 – Compute / OpenRouter API costs for extensive adversarial testing and iteration

• $2,000 – Polishing the desktop app, documentation, and public release

• $1,000 – Final U.S. copyright steps and basic hosting/tools

• $1,000 – Personal runway to dedicate consistent time while balancing full-time caregiving for my 94-year-old mother

With the minimum $500, I can begin meaningful testing and preparation for public release.
With the full $8,000, I can complete a solid, well-tested open-source version ready for community feedback and adoption.

Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?

Solo independent creator. I have no formal ML research background or team. My track record is building FifthForce from scratch as a former carpenter with zero prior coding experience — self-taught through AI-assisted development, guided by the nine-module Wake Up Protocol. The working beta (v0.1.0) is already live on Zenodo with a registered copyright. This demonstrates determination, rapid learning, and the ability to ship a complex ethical system despite non-traditional circumstances.

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?

Most likely failure modes are:

1. Caregiving responsibilities for my elderly mother limit available hours → project slows significantly.

2. Technical edge cases where invariants are bypassed under novel adversarial conditions → requires more iteration than expected.

3. Low community adoption due to the unconventional philosophical framing.

In all cases the core codebase and lessons learned would still be released publicly under open license so others can build on or fork the work. Failure would not result in the technology being lost or captured — it would simply remain an open research artifact for the alignment community.

How much money have you raised in the last 12 months, and from where?

None. Applications pending.