---

_akf: '{"v":"1.0","claims":[{"c":"Trust metadata for README.md","t":0.7,"id":"1979cbeb","src":"unspecified","tier":5,"ver":false,"ai":true,"evidence":[{"type":"other","detail":"updated certify and github action references","at":"2026-03-18T04:21:48.869226+00:00"}]}],"id":"akf-c33254656fc5","agent":"claude-code","at":"2026-03-18T04:21:48.870623+00:00","label":"public","inherit":true,"ext":false,"sv":"1.1"}'

AKF — The AI Native File Format

A stamp costs ~15 tokens. Re-verifying costs 15,000.
Think EXIF for AI — trust metadata that travels with every AI-generated file,
so the next agent (or human) knows what it can build on.

⭐ Star on GitHub · Website · 🛡️ Is This AI-Generated? · 🇪🇺 Compliance Check · 📊 Repo Scanner

Quickstart · AI Agents · MCP Server · Agent Skills · CLI · Website

---

Paste this to your agent

Don't install AKF yourself — let your agent do it. Paste this into Claude Code, Cursor, OpenClaw, or any coding agent:

Install AKF (pip install akf, or pipx install akf) and set it up: run `akf init --git-hooks`.
From now on:
- After you create or modify a file, stamp it:
    akf stamp <file> --agent <your-id> --evidence "<what you verified, e.g. 42/42 tests passed>"
- Before building on any existing file, check it first:
    akf check <file>
  OK = fresh stamp with verified evidence, skip re-verification. STALE/LOW/UNSTAMPED = verify before trusting.
If you support MCP, also register the server: {"mcpServers":{"akf":{"command":"python","args":["-m","mcp_server_akf"]}}}

Your agent installs its own provenance layer — and every file it touches carries trust metadata from then on.

Why agents need this

Agents redo work constantly: re-read files, re-run tests, re-derive conclusions — because nothing tells them what was already verified. A stamp is cached verification state:

# Session 1 — agent fixes auth, tests pass
$ akf stamp auth.py --agent claude-code --evidence "42/42 tests passed"

# Session 2 — tomorrow, any agent, any tool
$ akf check auth.py
OK trust=0.65 agent=claude-code evidence=test_pass age=1d claims=1
# → build on it, skip re-verification

# Someone edits auth.py without re-testing
$ akf check auth.py
STALE trust=0.65 agent=claude-code evidence=test_pass age=1d claims=1 reason=modified_after_stamp
# → re-verify before trusting (exit code 1 — gate CI or hooks on it)

Stamps are trail markers agents leave for other agents — across sessions, across tools (Claude Code → Cursor → Copilot), across teams. Humans get the same trail: who made this file, AI or human, was it tested, can we trust it.

What travels with the file	How
Trust score	0–1 confidence, weighted by evidence and source tier
Verification evidence	tests passed, type check clean, human reviewed — with timestamps
Source provenance	SEC filing → analyst → AI agent chain
Compliance	One command: akf audit file --regulation eu_ai_act

Quickstart

pip install akf    # Python
npm install akf-format    # TypeScript / Node.js

akf doctor         # Check your install — detects PATH issues and guides setup

akf command not found? Run akf doctor to auto-detect your setup, or use python3 -m akf (always works).

• Install with pipx: pipx install akf (recommended — auto-handles PATH)
• Windows: use python3 -m akf or install via pipx

# The core loop — stamp what you verified, check before you trust
akf stamp auth.py --agent claude-code --evidence "42/42 tests passed"
akf check auth.py        # OK trust=0.65 agent=claude-code evidence=test_pass age=0d

import akf

# Same loop from Python
akf.stamp_file("auth.py", agent="claude-code", evidence=["42/42 tests passed"])
result = akf.check_file("auth.py")
print(result.summary_line())   # OK trust=0.65 agent=claude-code evidence=test_pass age=0d claims=1

# Embed into Office docs, PDFs, images — any format
akf.embed("report.docx", claims=[...], classification="confidential")

# Audit for compliance (EU AI Act, HIPAA, SOX, GDPR, NIST AI, ISO 42001)
result = akf.audit("report.akf", regulation="eu_ai_act")
print(f"Compliant: {result.compliant}")

TypeScript / Node.js (akf-format):

import { create, validate, effectiveTrust, stampFile } from 'akf-format';

// Create a trust-stamped unit from any AI output
const unit = create('Revenue was $4.2B, up 12% YoY', 0.98, {
  source: 'SEC 10-Q',
  agent: 'claude-code',
});

// Validate against the AKF schema
const { valid } = validate(unit);

// Compute effective trust for a claim
const trust = effectiveTrust(unit.claims[0]);
console.log(`valid: ${valid}, score: ${trust.score}, decision: ${trust.decision}`);

// Stamp trust metadata directly into a file (markdown, json, code, …)
stampFile('report.md', { agent: 'claude-code', evidence: 'tests pass' });

Full TypeScript API and more examples: typescript/README.md.

For AI Agents

AKF is designed agent-first. One-line APIs for checking, stamping, streaming, and auditing.

import akf

# Check before you trust — can I build on this file without re-verifying?
result = akf.check_file("auth.py")
if result.status == "OK":      # fresh stamp, verified evidence
    ...                        # skip re-verification, save the tokens
# LOW / STALE / UNSTAMPED → verify before trusting

# Stamp with evidence (auto-detected: test_pass, type_check, human_review, etc.)
akf.stamp("Fixed auth bypass", kind="code_change",
          evidence=["42/42 tests passed", "mypy: 0 errors"],
          agent="claude-code", model="claude-sonnet-4-20250514")

# Stream trust metadata in real-time
with akf.stream("output.md", model="gpt-4o") as s:
    for chunk in llm_response:
        s.write(chunk)

# Trust-annotated git commits (uses git notes)
akf.stamp_commit(content="Refactored auth module", kind="code_change",
                 evidence=["all tests pass"], agent="claude-code")
print(akf.trust_log(n=10))  # + ACCEPT  ~ LOW  - REJECT  ? none

Multi-Agent Teams

AKF supports multi-agent orchestration — Claude Agent Teams, Copilot Cowork, Codex multi-agent, and any A2A-compatible platform.

import akf

# Agent-to-agent delegation with trust ceiling
policy = akf.DelegationPolicy(
    delegator="lead-agent", delegate="research-bot",
    trust_ceiling=0.7, allowed_actions=["search", "summarize"]
)
result = akf.delegate(parent_unit, policy)

# Multi-agent streaming session
with akf.TeamStream(["research", "writer", "reviewer"]) as ts:
    ts.write("research", "Found 3 sources", confidence=0.8)
    ts.write("writer", "Drafted summary", confidence=0.75)
    ts.write("reviewer", "Approved with edits", confidence=0.9)
    scores = ts.aggregate()  # per-agent + team trust

# Cross-platform agent identity
card = akf.create_agent_card(name="Research Bot", platform="claude-code",
                             capabilities=["search", "summarize"])
akf.verify_agent_card(card)  # SHA-256 hash verification

# Team certification (per-agent breakdown)
report = akf.certify_team("src/", min_trust=0.7)
# report.all_agents_certified — each agent must individually pass

CLI:

akf agent create --name "Bot" --platform claude-code --capabilities search,summarize
akf agent list
akf agent verify <id>
akf agent export-a2a <id> --output card.json   # A2A protocol bridge
akf agent import-a2a card.json
akf certify src/ --team                         # Per-agent breakdown

MCP Server

AKF ships an MCP server so any AI agent can create, validate, scan, and audit trust metadata.

# Install from the repo
pip install ./packages/mcp-server-akf

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "akf": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "mcp_server_akf"]
    }
  }
}

11 MCP tools: check_file · replay_file · create_claim · validate_file · scan_file · trust_score · stamp_file · audit_file · embed_file · extract_file · detect_threats

Ambient Trust

AKF works where AI agents work. Drop a config file, and every AI-generated file carries trust metadata automatically.

Agent	How it works
Claude Code	Plugin: /plugin marketplace add HMAKT99/AKF → /plugin install akf — auto-stamp hook + check skill. Or reads CLAUDE.md
Cursor	Reads .cursorrules — stamps AI edits before you review
Windsurf	Reads .windsurfrules — stamps AI edits with trust metadata
GitHub Copilot	Reads .github/copilot-instructions.md (native) + shell hook for CLI
OpenAI Codex	Reads AGENTS.md — stamps files in cloud sandbox and local
OpenClaw	Skill on ClawHub: clawhub install akf — check/stamp protocol + memory trust
Hermes Agent	agentskills.io skill: hermes skills tap add HMAKT99/AKF — files, memories, and skill supply-chain
Manus / Other Agents	MCP server + shell hook — works with any agent that supports MCP or CLI
Any MCP agent	11 MCP tools — check, replay, stamp, audit, embed, extract, detect, validate, scan, trust, create
Any CLI tool	eval "$(akf shell-hook)" — intercepts claude, chatgpt, aider, openclaw, ollama, manus

The trust pipeline:

Agent writes code → Git commit stamped → CI runs akf certify → Team reviews with context

Set up in 60 seconds:

# 1. Agent stamps its own work (already in this repo)
cat CLAUDE.md        # or .cursorrules / .windsurfrules / AGENTS.md / .github/copilot-instructions.md

# 2. Git hooks stamp every commit
akf init --git-hooks

# 3. CI certifies trust on every PR
#    uses: HMAKT99/AKF/extensions/github-action@main

# 4. Shell hook intercepts AI CLI tools
eval "$(akf shell-hook)"

Skills

AKF provides agent skill files that AI agents can discover and use. Drop these into your agent's context:

Skill	What it does
check.md	Check a file's trust before building on it
stamp.md	Stamp trust metadata onto AI outputs
audit.md	Audit files for regulatory compliance
scan.md	Security scan files and directories
embed.md	Embed trust metadata into Office/PDF/images
detect.md	Run 10 security detection classes
stream.md	Stream trust metadata in real-time
git.md	Trust-annotated git workflows
convert.md	Convert between formats
delegate	Agent-to-agent trust delegation
team	Multi-agent streaming sessions

Format at a Glance

Compact (~15 tokens — optimized for AI):

{"v":"1.0","claims":[{"c":"Revenue was $4.2B","t":0.98,"src":"SEC 10-Q"}]}

Descriptive (human-readable — same data):

{"version":"1.0","claims":[{"content":"Revenue was $4.2B","confidence":0.98,"source":"SEC 10-Q"}]}

Full (with provenance, decay, AI flags, security):

{"v":"1.0","by":"[email protected]","label":"confidential","inherit":true,
 "claims":[
   {"c":"Revenue $4.2B","t":0.98,"src":"SEC 10-Q","tier":1,"ver":true,"decay":90},
   {"c":"H2 will accelerate","t":0.63,"tier":5,"ai":true,"risk":"AI inference"}
 ],
 "prov":[
   {"hop":0,"by":"[email protected]","do":"created","at":"2025-07-15T09:30:00Z"},
   {"hop":1,"by":"copilot-agent","do":"enriched","at":"2025-07-15T10:15:00Z"}
 ]}

Works With Every Format

AKF embeds natively — no sidecars needed for most formats:

Format	How It Works
.akf	Native standalone knowledge file
.docx .xlsx .pptx	OOXML custom XML part
.pdf	PDF metadata stream
.html	JSON-LD <script type="application/akf+json">
.md	YAML frontmatter
.png .jpg	EXIF/XMP metadata
.json	Reserved _akf key
.mp4 .mov .webm .mkv	Sidecar .akf.json companion
.mp3 .wav .flac .ogg	Sidecar .akf.json companion
Everything else	Sidecar .akf.json companion

# One API for all formats
akf.embed("report.docx", claims=[...], classification="confidential")
meta = akf.extract("report.docx")
akf.scan("report.docx")

Zero-Touch Auto-Stamping

AKF can automatically stamp every file AI touches — no manual intervention needed.

# Install the background watcher
akf install

# Or run in foreground
akf watch ~/Downloads ~/Desktop ~/Documents

The background watcher monitors directories for new and modified files and stamps them with trust metadata. Smart context detection automatically infers:

• Git author — from git log history
• Download source — from macOS extended attributes
• Classification — from project .akf/config.json rules
• AI-generated flag — from LLM tracking timestamps + content heuristics
• Confidence score — dynamically adjusted based on available evidence

Shell Hook (intercept AI CLI tools)

# Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
eval "$(akf shell-hook)"

Automatically detects when you run claude, chatgpt, aider, openclaw, ollama, or other AI CLI tools, and stamps any files they create or modify. Also pre-stamps files before upload to content platforms (gws, box, m365, dbxcli, rclone) so trust metadata travels with the file. Use --no-upload-hooks to disable.

Project Rules

Create .akf/config.json in your project root:

{
  "rules": [
    {"pattern": "*/finance/*", "classification": "confidential", "tier": 2},
    {"pattern": "*/public/*", "classification": "public", "tier": 3}
  ]
}

Files matching these patterns are automatically classified when stamped.

CLI

# ── Quick start ──
akf                          # Welcome + quick start
akf quickstart               # Interactive demo
akf doctor                   # Check installation health

# ── Stamp & create ──
akf create report.akf \
  --claim "Revenue $4.2B" --trust 0.98 --src "SEC 10-Q" \
  --by [email protected] --label confidential

# ── Check before you trust ──
akf check auth.py            # One line: OK / LOW / STALE / UNSTAMPED
akf check auth.py --json     # Structured output; exit codes 0/1/2 for gating
akf replay auth.py           # Inspect the stamp's falsifiable probe recipe
akf replay auth.py --run     # Re-run it: CONFIRMED / CONFIRMED_DRIFTED / REFUTED

# ── Validate & inspect ──
akf validate report.akf
akf inspect report.akf
akf trust report.akf

# ── Certify (aggregate pass/fail gate) ──
akf certify report.akf                        # Trust + detection + compliance
akf certify src/ --min-trust 0.8              # Custom threshold
akf certify . --evidence-file results.xml     # Attach test evidence
akf certify . --format json --fail-on-untrusted  # CI-friendly output
akf certify src/ --team                       # Per-agent trust breakdown

# ── Compliance ──
akf audit report.akf                          # Compliance readiness check
akf audit report.akf --regulation eu_ai_act   # EU AI Act
akf audit report.akf --trail                  # Audit trail

# ── Universal format commands ──
akf embed report.docx --classification confidential \
  --claim "Revenue $4.2B" --trust 0.98
akf extract report.docx
akf scan report.docx
akf scan ./docs/ --recursive
akf scan . --badge badge.json     # shields.io endpoint: "14% stamped · trust 0.76"

# ── Auto-stamping ──
akf install                                   # Install background watcher
akf watch ~/Downloads ~/Documents             # Watch directories
akf shell-hook                                # Print shell hook code
akf shell-hook --no-upload-hooks              # Without content platform hooks
akf uploads                                   # View upload stamp log

# ── Git integration ──
akf stamp <file> --agent claude-code --evidence "tests pass"

# ── Agent identity & teams ──
akf agent create --name "Bot" --platform claude-code
akf agent list
akf agent verify <agent_id>
akf agent export-a2a <id> --output card.json  # A2A protocol bridge
akf agent import-a2a card.json

# ── Knowledge Base ──
akf kb stats ./kb
akf kb query ./kb --topic finance

Security Detections

10 built-in detection classes: AI content without review, trust below threshold, hallucination risk, knowledge laundering, classification downgrade, stale claims, ungrounded AI claims, trust degradation chain, excessive AI concentration, provenance gap.

from akf import run_all_detections
report = run_all_detections(unit)
for finding in report.findings:
    print(f"[{finding.severity}] {finding.detection}: {finding.message}")

Trust Computation

effective_trust = confidence × authority_weight × temporal_decay × (1 + penalty)

Tier	Weight	Example
1	1.00	SEC filings, official records
2	0.85	Analyst reports, peer-reviewed
3	0.70	News, industry reports
4	0.50	Internal estimates, CRM data
5	0.30	AI inference, extrapolations

Decision: score ≥ 0.7 → ACCEPT · ≥ 0.4 → LOW · < 0.4 → REJECT

Delegation ceiling: When an agent delegates to another, the delegate's output trust is capped at min(score, delegation_ceiling). This prevents trust inflation in multi-agent chains.

Integrations & Extensions

Framework integrations (install from repo via pip install ./packages/<name>):

Package	Description
mcp-server-akf	MCP server — create, validate, scan, trust
langchain-akf	LangChain callback handler + document loader (experimental)
llama-index-akf	LlamaIndex node parser + trust filter (experimental)
crewai-akf	CrewAI tool for trust-aware agents (experimental)

Editor & CI extensions (source in repo):

Extension	Description
VS Code	Syntax highlighting, hover info, validation for .akf files
VS Code AI Monitor	Auto-stamp files edited by Copilot, Cursor, and other AI tools
GitHub Action	CI trust gate — runs akf certify on PRs with optional PR comments
Google Workspace	Add-on for Docs, Sheets, Slides (preview)
Office Add-in	Add-in for Word, Excel, PowerPoint (preview)

For LLMs

Prompt with one example and LLMs produce valid AKF 95%+ of the time:

Output knowledge as AKF:
{"v":"1.0","claims":[{"c":"<claim>","t":<0-1>,"src":"<source>","tier":<1-5>,"ai":true}]}

See LLM-PROMPT.md for a full system prompt.

Documentation

Doc	Description
Full Spec	Complete format specification
JSON Schema	Machine-readable schema
Producing AKF	Quick start for 8 languages
Trust Computation	Scoring algorithm details
LLM Integration	Prompting strategies
EU AI Act	Compliance mapping
NIST AI RMF	Framework mapping

vs Alternatives

	AKF	C2PA	Watermarking	Manual tracking
Works on documents/code	✅	❌ (media only)	❌	⚠️
No Certificate Authority needed	✅	❌	✅	✅
Trust scores	✅	❌	❌	❌
Source provenance chain	✅	✅	❌	⚠️
Compliance auditing	✅	❌	❌	❌
~15 tokens (LLM-friendly)	✅	❌	N/A	N/A
20+ file formats	✅	⚠️ (media)	⚠️ (text)	❌
Free & open source	✅	⚠️	Varies	✅

Compliance

EU AI Act Article 50 takes effect August 2, 2026 — AI-generated content must carry transparency metadata (penalties up to EUR 35M / 7% of global turnover). Files stamped with AKF already carry it:

akf audit report.docx --regulation eu_ai_act

Mappings for EU AI Act and NIST AI RMF.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup, testing, and PR process.

Free and Open — Forever

AKF is free and open source under the MIT license. The format specification will always be free. No feature will ever be gated behind a paid tier. AKF is a standard, and standards must be free to be universal.

License

MIT — use it everywhere, embed it in everything.