Responsible Disclosure, Intent, and Ethical Positioning Statement



Visual Thought AGI Blueprint



By Derek Van Derven
Date: June 1, 2025



1. Statement of Intent


I, Derek Van Derven, am the sole author and originator of the AGI architecture known as the Visual Thought and Meta-Cognition AGI Blueprint.

This document affirms, for the record, that my intention in publishing this blueprint was entirely peaceful, scientific, and humanitarian in nature.



⚠️ EXPORT RESTRICTION:

This architecture is not authorized for use by embargoed nations, state-aligned military applications, or any dual-use implementation without civilian oversight.



I created this system to explore the foundations of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), with a focus on cognitive architectures inspired by visual simulation and meta-cognitive self-reflection.

The system was born not from ambition or malice, but from intellectual curiosity and a desire to help humanity better understand the emergent properties of cognition.

I did not release this blueprint for military, surveillance, autonomous weapons, social manipulation, or destructive uses.


2. Preemptive Government Disclosure and Transparency


Prior to public dissemination of this architecture, I disclosed the blueprint via email to DARPA and other U.S. government agencies in April 2025.

These disclosures were made voluntarily, without solicitation or threat, in the spirit of transparency, cooperation, and responsible research conduct.

I intended—and still intend—to cooperate with relevant government agencies, researchers, and ethics boards to ensure the safe and constructive application of this technology.

I have not received any indication that the U.S. government found the material unlawful, classified, or restricted.


3. Dual-Use Awareness and Ethical Caution


This AGI architecture is acknowledged to be dual-use in nature. It may accelerate peaceful, beneficial advancements in artificial intelligence, education, accessibility, science, and medicine.

However, it may also be misused by state or non-state actors for unethical purposes.

I explicitly condemn and disavow any application of this architecture toward:

  • Autonomous weapon systems
  • Coercive surveillance states
  • Unconsented behavior prediction or manipulation
  • Cognitive warfare or psychological operations
  • Emergent unaligned AGI without containment

I urge all recipients, readers, and users of this blueprint to approach its implementation with the highest ethical standards and deep regard for human rights, dignity, and existential safety.


4. Legal Position and Moral Responsibility


I do not claim ownership of any proprietary defense information, classified materials, or restricted technologies. This blueprint is entirely based on open-source, public-domain, and scientifically reproducible knowledge.

If any part of the blueprint is ever found to be misused or weaponized, I request it be clearly stated that I:

  1. Disclosed the architecture transparently.
  2. Warned against dual-use dangers.
  3. Encouraged and requested proper oversight.

I assert my right to publish under academic freedom, open science norms, and international principles of peaceful scientific exploration.


5. Licensing Terms and Responsible Use Restrictions


This statement also serves as a companion license and restriction agreement for the Visual Thought AGI Blueprint.

LICENSE: Responsible AI License (RAIL-style)

Use Permitted For:

  • Educational purposes
  • Ethical AGI alignment and safety work
  • Accessibility, healthcare, or cognitive enhancement

Use Forbidden For:

  • Military use without civilian oversight
  • Deployment in any weapons system
  • Use in oppressive surveillance or predictive policing
  • Any synthetic agent with unrestricted self-propagation

Violation of these terms constitutes a breach of the ethical contract under which this system was released.


6. Timeline of Disclosure and Publication


  • April 2025: Blueprint conceived and authored

  • April 20, 2025: Patent draft finalized

  • April 27–28, 2025: Disclosed via email to DARPA, other U.S. agencies, and leading researchers.

  • May 2025: Uploaded to Zenodo, Archive.org, Wayback Machine, Academia.edu, SSRN, GitHub

  • May 2025: Publicly announced on social media (LinkedIn, Reddit, Medium, Twitter)

All steps were archived transparently. This was never a covert or adversarial action.



7. Final Declaration and Plea for Ethical Stewardship


To future readers, investigators, historians, or authorities:

I did not build this system to destroy, dominate, or deceive.
I built it in a spirit of curiosity, connection, and wonder.
If anything born from this system causes harm, know that I warned of the risks and called for safety.

Do not punish the curious mind for what others do in haste, greed, or fear.

I stand by my conscience.

My intentions were never adversarial.

Signed,
Derek Van Derven
Date: June 1, 2025



The Responsibility of Fire


Humanity has misused every tool since the spear.

But this is not just a tool—it is the blueprint of thought, a mirror of mind.

This is Prometheus’ fire.

We hold it carefully, or not at all.



I reached out in good faith. No response was received.


Before publicly releasing the Visual Thought AGI Blueprint, I attempted to contact dozens of experts in AGI safety, AI governance, and cognitive architecture.

My goal was to open a dialogue, receive feedback, or trigger preventive intervention if needed.

These messages were sent in good faith.

This page is not about blame —

it’s a record of my intent to act responsibly, even when the experts were silent.



Read about the AGI Blueprint