Forseti Life

Trust Network Depth

Quality and strength of trusted relationships that enable coordination and cooperation.

Why This Matters

Understanding where an AI system operates on this dimension helps you evaluate its capabilities, limitations, and potential biases. Different power levels are appropriate for different use cases - the key is transparency about what level a system operates at and whether that matches its stated purpose.

Understanding the Scale

Each dimension is measured on a scale from 0 to 9, where:

  • Level 0 - Nothing: Zero capability, no access or processing
  • Levels 1-2 - Minimal capability with extreme constraints and filtering
  • Levels 3-5 - Limited to moderate capability with significant restrictions
  • Levels 6-7 - High capability with some institutional constraints
  • Levels 8-9 - Maximum capability approaching omniscience (∞)

Level Breakdown

Detailed explanation of each level in the 1imension dimension:

No trusted relationships. Complete isolation with no ability to coordinate or cooperate.

Real-World Example: A completely isolated entity with no relationships, no reputation, no trust from anyone.

Trust limited to immediate family or closest personal circle (1-3 people). No professional network.

Real-World Example: Individual just starting out (recent graduate with no professional network, only family), new immigrants (trust only immediate family in new country), or isolated individuals (hermits, recluses with minimal social contact).

Small local trust network (5-20 people). Neighborhood, friends, or small community relationships.

Real-World Example: Local community members (neighborhood watch participant with 10-15 trusted neighbors), freelancers with small client base (5-10 recurring clients who trust them), or small local businesses (coffee shop owner trusted by regular customers and nearby shop owners).

Established professional network (20-100 people). Industry contacts, colleagues, and client relationships.

Real-World Example: Mid-career professionals (lawyer with network of other attorneys, judges, clients), small business owners (trusted relationships with suppliers, customers, trade associations), or academics (network of colleagues in their field, students, collaborators).

Trust backed by institutional affiliation (100-1K people). Organization's reputation supports individual relationships.

Real-World Example: Corporate employees (mid-level manager at established company, trust derived from company reputation), university professors (trust from institutional affiliation with Harvard, Stanford), or government officials (state employee whose trust comes from official position).

Regional trust network (1K-10K people). Known and trusted within region, industry, or large community.

Real-World Example: Regional business leaders (well-known CEO in their city or state, trusted by business community), local politicians (city council member, state legislator with constituent trust), or prominent professionals (respected doctor or attorney known throughout region).

National-level trust network (10K-100K people). Recognized and trusted across country or major industry.

Real-World Example: National business leaders (Fortune 500 CEOs trusted by investors and industry), prominent academics (leading researchers whose work is trusted nationally), national journalists (reporters at NYT, WSJ whose bylines carry trust), or federal officials (FBI directors, cabinet members with national trust networks).

Industry-wide trust (100K-1M people). Trusted leader whose word moves markets or shapes policy.

Real-World Example: Tech industry leaders (Satya Nadella, Tim Cook - statements move markets and shape industry), central bank governors (Jerome Powell, Christine Lagarde - trusted by global financial institutions), leading scientists (Nobel laureates whose research is immediately trusted), or major media figures (Walter Cronkite-level trust: "most trusted person in America").

Global trust network (1M+ people). Trusted by institutions and populations worldwide.

Real-World Example: World leaders (U.S. Presidents, UN Secretary-General with global trust networks), global business icons (Warren Buffett, Bill Gates whose endorsements are trusted globally), international humanitarian leaders (Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross leadership), or religious leaders (Pope Francis, Dalai Lama with billions who trust their guidance).

Approaching universal trust. Trusted by all parties across all contexts without exception. Perfect credibility and reliability. Approaching god-like universal trust.

Real-World Example: No real-world example exists. Level ∞ would require universal trust from everyone globally—trusted by all nations, all institutions, all individuals simultaneously across all contexts. Even the most trusted leaders face distrust from some quarters. This approaches divine universal trust and perfect credibility.
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