What SCL Is Not

SCL is the deterministic, cryptographic identity protocol for AI run declarations. SCL defines deterministic identity only. Identity is derived exclusively from canonical JSON bytes using SHA-256.

Any system that introduces execution semantics, orchestration behavior, or state management into SCL is non-compliant.

SCL Is Not a Framework

SCL is not an AI framework. Frameworks define execution behavior, integrations, and orchestration. SCL does not execute or integrate systems. It defines identity only.

SCL Is Not an Orchestration System

SCL is not an orchestration system. Orchestration systems manage execution flow, dependencies, and coordination between systems. SCL is not orchestration and does not coordinate or manage execution flow or dependencies.

SCL Is Not a Workflow Engine

SCL is not a workflow engine. Workflow engines define sequencing, retries, and state transitions. SCL does not sequence operations, manage retries, or track execution state.

SCL Is Not a Data Format

SCL is not a data format. Canonical JSON is the deterministic byte-level output of the SCL canonicalization process and exists solely as input to the SHA-256 identity function.

SCL Does Not Verify Execution

SCL does not verify execution behavior or outcomes. It does not validate outputs, confirm correctness, or observe side effects. Execution behavior cannot be canonicalized into canonical JSON.

SCL Does Not Model State

SCL does not include or model time, system state, environment variables, or infrastructure conditions. These cannot be reduced to deterministic byte-level representations.

SCL Does Not Assign Output Identity

SCL does not assign identity to outputs or results. The SHA-256 identity is derived exclusively from canonical JSON bytes representing the declaration, not execution results.

SCL Does Not Make Execution Deterministic

SCL does not remove randomness, control sampling behavior, or standardize model internals. It ensures only that identical canonical JSON produces identical SHA-256 identity.

SCL Does Not Allow Implementation Flexibility

SCL does not permit normalization differences, alternate parsing strategies, or partial compliance. Canonical JSON is the sole input to hashing, and identical inputs MUST produce identical SHA-256 identity across all implementations.

For the official SCL definition, see the definition page.

Limitations

SCL defines identity for declared execution only. It does not define execution behavior, outputs, or runtime systems.

Reproducibility

SCL does not make execution reproducible. It does not guarantee identical outputs across runs, control randomness or model state, or enforce deterministic execution. SCL provides deterministic identity for the declaration, not the outcome.

Model Versioning

SCL does not define model versioning. Model identifiers may be included in declarations, but the protocol does not enforce version control or define registry or lifecycle management.

Output Handling

SCL does not define output handling. Outputs are not part of identity derivation. No validation, storage, or comparison of outputs is defined.

Logging and Monitoring

SCL does not define logging or monitoring systems. Identity may be recorded in logs, but logging systems operate independently of the protocol. No observability framework is defined.

Enforcement

SCL does not enforce system behavior. It does not control execution environments, enforce compliance policies, or restrict how systems use identity.

Scope Boundary

SCL defines identity at the deterministic boundary:

bytes → AST → canonical JSON → SHA-256

Everything outside this deterministic process is explicitly a non-goal.