AICP - AI Consumption Protocol

AICP (AI Consumption Protocol) dictates how AI systems should discover, select, disclose, and optionally unlock versions of open-source software.

The Problem: The "Tailwind Paradox"

In late 2025, a Pull Request to add an llms.txt file (AI-optimized documentation) to Tailwind CSS was closed by the creator.

His reasoning was brutally honest: "I just don't have time to work on things that don't help us pay the bills."

This highlights a growing crisis in Open Source:

1. AI Agents consume OSS maintainers' work at massive scale to power commercial coding tools.
2. Maintainers see zero return from this consumption.
3. Gating everything hurts the community (startups, students, and hobbyists lose access).

We need a middle ground. We need a way to monetize professional utility without killing open access.

The Solution: Monetize "Freshness", Not Code

AICP introduces a standard modeled after professional data markets: Freshness Gating.

• Stable N-1 (Previous Version): Always FREE and public.
  • Perfect for: Students, indie hackers, startups, OSS contributors.
  • AI Behavior: Unauthenticated agents use this version by default.
• Stable N (Latest Version): Can be GATED (e.g., for 30 days).
  • Perfect for: Enterprises, serious businesses, power users who need the bleeding edge.
  • AI Behavior: Agents check for a "Sponsorship Token". If valid, they unlock and use the latest docs/code.

This creates a sustainable loop:

1. Community stays happy: 99% of the code/docs is always open.
2. Startups & Learners get a stable, proven version (less "hallucinations" from beta features anyway).
3. Enterprises pay a small sponsorship fee to unlock the latest intelligence for their AI fleets.

How It Works

Repositories publish a simple manifest file: /.well-known/aicp.json.

Example aicp.json

{
  "aicp_version": "0.1",
  "project": "example-lib",
  "default_policy": "stable-n-1",
  "public_snapshot": {
    "version": "1.8.0",
    "docs": "https://example.org/docs/1.8"
  },
  "latest_snapshot": {
    "version": "1.9.0",
    "access": "entitled",
    "entitlement": {
      "type": "github-sponsors",
      "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/example"
    }
  },
  "notice": {
     "short": "Using v1.8.0. Sponsor to unlock v1.9.0 (Latest)."
  }
}

Integration Guide: Add AICP to Your Repo

You can add AICP to any GitHub repository in 5 minutes.

Step 1: Create the Manifest

Create a file at .well-known/aicp.json in your public repository. Use the example above, pointing public_snapshot to your previous stable release and latest_snapshot to your current one.

Step 2: Gate the "Latest" Content (Optional)

If you want to enforce the gate:

• Keep your latest documentation or release notes in a private repo or behind a simple auth proxy.
• Grant access to this private repo to your GitHub Sponsors (GitHub handles this automation natively!).

Step 3: AI Agents Do the Rest

AICP-compliant agents (IDEs, CLI tools) will:

1. Read your aicp.json.
2. Check if the user has a GitHub Sponsor token for your repo.
3. If Sponsored: Fetch and context-load your latest docs.
4. If Not: Fetch and context-load your N-1 docs and notify the user: "A newer version is available for Sponsors."

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Core Rules for AI Vendors

To be AICP-Compliant, your agent must:

1. Respect default_policy: Do not scrape latest_snapshot if it is marked restricted, unless authorized.
2. Disclose Version: Your response must state: "Using example-lib v1.8.0 (Public Stable)."
3. Honesty: Do not hallucinate features from the latest version if you only have access to N-1.