A Protocol for Trustless Verification Under Uncertainty

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Shi, David, Joo, Kevin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866918226797002752
author Shi, David
Joo, Kevin
author_facet Shi, David
Joo, Kevin
contents Correctness is an emergent property of systems where exposing error is cheaper than committing it. In dynamic, low-trust environments, autonomous AI agents benefit from delegating work to sub-agents, yet correctness cannot be assured through upfront specification or centralized oversight. We propose a protocol that enforces correctness through collateralized claims in a recursive verification game. Tasks are published as intents, and solvers compete to fulfill them. Selected solvers carry out tasks under risk, with correctness checked post hoc by verifiers. Any challenger can challenge a result by staking against it to trigger the verification process. Incorrect agents are slashed and correct opposition is rewarded, with an escalation path that penalizes erroneous verifiers themselves. When incentives are aligned across solvers, challengers, and verifiers, falsification conditions make correctness the Nash equilibrium.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_00631
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Protocol for Trustless Verification Under Uncertainty
Shi, David
Joo, Kevin
Computer Science and Game Theory
Artificial Intelligence
Multiagent Systems
I.2.11; F.2.2
Correctness is an emergent property of systems where exposing error is cheaper than committing it. In dynamic, low-trust environments, autonomous AI agents benefit from delegating work to sub-agents, yet correctness cannot be assured through upfront specification or centralized oversight. We propose a protocol that enforces correctness through collateralized claims in a recursive verification game. Tasks are published as intents, and solvers compete to fulfill them. Selected solvers carry out tasks under risk, with correctness checked post hoc by verifiers. Any challenger can challenge a result by staking against it to trigger the verification process. Incorrect agents are slashed and correct opposition is rewarded, with an escalation path that penalizes erroneous verifiers themselves. When incentives are aligned across solvers, challengers, and verifiers, falsification conditions make correctness the Nash equilibrium.
title A Protocol for Trustless Verification Under Uncertainty
topic Computer Science and Game Theory
Artificial Intelligence
Multiagent Systems
I.2.11; F.2.2
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.00631