Epistemic Provenance Mesh Protocol (EPMP): A Diagnostic Instrument in Human-AI Communication

The Epistemic Provenance Mesh Protocol (EPMP) is a diagnostic framework for verifying the genuine human origin of epistemic contribution in human-AI dialogue — distinguishing it from AI-scaffolded coherence, where the thinking has been delegated to the model rather than generated through the human's own epistemic architecture. It operates through two mutually constitutive layers — the Upstream Governance Framework (UGF), eleven cross-cutting competencies constituting the epistemic architecture that determines whether genuine human contribution is present, and the Epistemic Imprint Diagnostic (EID), which reads that contribution's presence, absence, and morphology directly from the dialogue trace. The EPMP requires no external instrumentation and no proxy measures — it operates exclusively through native observables already present within existing LLM architecture, rendering it immediately executable across any closed or open weights LLM interface. What this deposit is: This deposit presents the first publication of the Epistemic Provenance Mesh Protocol (EPMP) working paper. Included within this deposit are the high-resolution figures corresponding to the three iterations of the proof of concept programme executed by the author. The iteration transcripts (Claude Exporter exports) are available upon request rather than open access for methodological reasons specific to the framework's empirical architecture. As primary evidence for real-time diagnostic detection, they are best engaged with in the context of the framework they instantiate, as they constitute the primary evidentiary record of each iteration's temporal arc, isolation, and collapse timing, with hysteresis factored into the diagnostic reading of when collapse registers relative to when it occurs. Requests may be directed to [email protected]. Feedback from EPMP protocol testing is welcomed directly by the author. Ongoing engagement with the framework contributes to its development and will inform future licensing decisions. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19197150 License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Architectural Notice: The Epistemic Provenance Mesh Protocol (EPMP) is designed as an integrated architecture consisting of the Upstream Governance Framework (UGF) and the Epistemic Imprint Diagnostic (EID). Please read the full licensing and architectural notice situated on the cover of the working paper.