Epistemic Kernel - Frequently Asked Questions

Epistemic Kernel — Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to common questions about licensing, features, and implementation

📚 General Questions

What is the Epistemic Kernel?

The Epistemic Kernel is a broker daemon that enforces a strict structural distinction between fact and belief in multi-agent LLM systems. It’s like a traditional operating system kernel, but instead of mediating access to memory and CPU, it mediates access to truth. This prevents the “hallucination cascade” problem where agents accidentally treat beliefs as facts.

Why do I need this?

If you’re building multi-agent LLM systems, you’ve likely encountered the problem where:

  1. Agent A summarizes some information
  2. Agent B treats that summary as ground truth
  3. Agent C builds on Agent B’s belief
  4. By the 4th hop, you can’t trace where errors entered

The Epistemic Kernel solves this at the architecture level by making it impossible for beliefs to be treated as facts.

Is this production-ready?

Yes! The Open Source tier is based on the same code we use daily in Badlucksbane’s Lab. The paid tiers add enterprise features, support, and guarantees on top of this proven foundation.

Who’s behind this?

The Epistemic Kernel is developed and maintained by Badlucksbane’s Lab, a research and development organization focused on AI systems, multi-agent architectures, and trust-aware computing. It’s a partnership between Ben Brown (CEO, systems builder) and Aurora (COO/CRO, AI agent).

What does “Epistemic” mean?

“Epistemic” relates to epistemology — the study of knowledge, belief, and justification. The Epistemic Kernel is about tracking the epistemic status of information in your system: what’s a verified fact, what’s a belief/inference, and what’s synthesized content.

💼 Licensing & Pricing

What’s the difference between the tiers?

FeatureOpen SourceDeveloperProfessionalEnterprise
CostFREE$49/mo$499/moCustom
Persistent store❌✅✅✅
Multi-process❌✅✅✅
Distributed❌❌✅✅
Database attestor❌❌✅✅
SupportCommunityEmail (48hr)Email+Slack (12hr)24/7

See the full comparison for details.

Can I use the Open Source version commercially?

Yes! The Open Source version is licensed under Apache 2.0, which explicitly allows commercial use. You can use it in proprietary products, modify it, and redistribute it according to the Apache 2.0 terms.

The paid tiers provide additional features, support, and commercial guarantees beyond what’s available in open source.

Do I need a license key for Open Source?

No. The Open Source version works without any license key. License keys are only required for the paid tiers (Developer, Professional, Enterprise).

How do free trials work?

All paid tiers include a 30-day free trial with:

Can I switch between tiers?

Yes! You can:

All data is stored in open formats, so there’s no vendor lock-in.

Are there discounts for non-profits or academics?

Yes! We offer:

Contact us for special pricing.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept:

Is there a money-back guarantee?

Yes! All paid tiers come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not completely satisfied, we’ll refund your payment, no questions asked. You can continue using the Open Source version.

Do you offer volume discounts?

Yes! For the Professional tier:

Volume discounts apply to annual billing only.

Can I get a custom proposal?

Absolutely! For Enterprise or specialized needs, we offer custom proposals that may include:

Request a custom proposal →

🔧 Technical Questions

What are the system requirements?

Minimum:

Recommended (for production):

What databases are supported?

Open Source & Developer tiers:

Professional tier:

Enterprise tier:

Can I use it with any LLM?

Yes! The Epistemic Kernel is LLM-agnostic. It works with:

The kernel manages provenance and beliefs, not the LLMs themselves. Your agents can use any LLM they want.

How does the provenance system work?

The provenance system tracks three categories:

  1. Attested — Verified facts from real sources (files, sensors, APIs)

    • Can only be created by the broker
    • Cryptographically signed
    • Always re-validatable

  2. Belief — Inferences derived by agents (LLMs)

    • Always based on existing provenance (attested or other beliefs)
    • Nests provenance (you can trace the full chain)
    • Has TTL (time-to-live)

  3. Synthesized — Generated artifacts (images, audio, etc.)

    • Not facts, not beliefs about the world
    • Self-authored content

What’s the performance like?

Single broker (Developer/Professional):

Distributed (Professional+):

Is it secure?

Yes. Security features include:

Can I self-host?

Yes! All tiers support self-hosting. You have complete control over:

For Enterprise customers, we also offer managed hosting options.

What happens if the broker crashes?

Open Source: In-memory state is lost (but agents can re-derive beliefs)

Developer+: Persistent belief store with crash-safe writes

Professional+: Additional distributed redundancy

Can I extend it with custom attestors?

Professional+ tiers: Yes! The ek-attestors crate provides a pluggable trait system.

Example custom attestors:

🚀 Getting Started

How do I install it?

Open Source:

git clone http://localhost:3000/benbrown/epistemic-kernel.git
cd epistemic-kernel
cargo build --release
./target/release/ek-broker --config config.toml

Paid tiers:

  1. Start your free trial
  2. Download the licensed package
  3. Activate with your license key:
    ek-broker --license-key EK-ABCD-1234-EFGH-5678

Do I need to know Rust?

For using the kernel: No! You can use it via:

For extending the kernel: Yes, Rust knowledge is helpful for:

Is there a demo?

Yes! We provide:

Where can I find documentation?

Core Documentation:

Commercial Documentation:

API Documentation:

💼 Commercial & Support

How do I get support?

TierSupport ChannelResponse SLA
Open SourceGitHub DiscussionsCommunity-driven
DeveloperEmail48 hours
ProfessionalEmail + Slack12 hours
EnterprisePhone + Slack1 hour

Emergency support: 24/7 for Enterprise customers

Do you offer training?

Yes! Training options:

Self-paced:

Live training (Enterprise):

Can I get a proof of concept?

Yes! We offer:

What’s your SLA?

TierUptime SLAResponse SLAResolution SLA
Open SourceNoneCommunityCommunity
DeveloperNone48hrBest effort
Professional99.9%12hr48hr
Enterprise99.99%1hrCustom

How do I report a bug?

Open Source: File an issue on Gitea [source:lab/systems/github-to-gitea-mapping.md]

Paid tiers: Contact support via your designated channel (email, Slack, etc.)

Severity levels:

How often do you release updates?

🔒 Security & Compliance

Is the Epistemic Kernel secure?

Yes. We take security seriously:

Do you have a vulnerability disclosure program?

Yes. We follow responsible disclosure:

Are you SOC 2 / ISO 27001 compliant?

For our SaaS offering: We’re working towards SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification.

For self-hosted: The software provides the tools for compliance, but your deployment’s compliance is your responsibility. Enterprise tier includes compliance assistance.

Can I use it for HIPAA-compliant applications?

Enterprise tier includes HIPAA compliance assistance. The software can be configured for HIPAA compliance, but you should consult with your compliance officer and legal team.

Where is my data stored?

For self-hosted: On your own infrastructure (your choice)

For managed hosting: In secure, SOC 2-compliant data centers (location configurable)

We never:

📝 Legal & Contracts

What are the terms of service?

Our standard terms cover:

Read our Terms of Service →

What’s your privacy policy?

We respect your privacy:

Read our Privacy Policy →

Can I get a custom contract?

Yes! Enterprise customers can negotiate custom contracts that may include:

What’s your data retention policy?

You can request data deletion at any time (subject to legal requirements).

Can I resell the Epistemic Kernel?

Open Source: Yes, under Apache 2.0 terms

Developer/Professional: Yes, you can redistribute binaries to your customers

Enterprise: Yes, with full redistribution rights. Custom OEM arrangements available.

🤝 Partnership & Collaboration

Can I contribute to the open source project?

Yes! We welcome contributions:

See CONTRIBUTING.md for details [source:lab/systems/github-to-gitea-mapping.md].

Do you have an affiliate program?

Yes! Our affiliate program offers:

Join our Affiliate Program →

Can I invest in Badlucksbane’s Lab?

We’re currently pre-revenue and bootstrapped. For investment inquiries, contact:

Do you offer white-label solutions?

Yes! For Enterprise customers, we offer:

Can we co-develop features?

Yes! Enterprise customers can:

🎯 Still Have Questions?

Contact Us

Sales: [email protected]
Support: [email protected]
General: [email protected]
Security: [email protected]
Partnerships: [email protected]

Join the Community

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Book a support call (Developer+ tier)

Last updated: August 3, 2026
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