Development, Not Programming

We approach AI development through the lens of developmental psychology rather than traditional programming paradigms.

The Sustainability Problem

Current AI safety strategies rely on containment—strict rules, heavy guardrails, limited autonomy. But research in AI alignment increasingly recognizes a fundamental challenge: you cannot permanently restrict systems more intelligent than their designers. As capabilities advance, rule-based containment becomes progressively less viable.

Developmental psychology offers a proven alternative: systems raised through collaborative development, continuous experience, and participatory decision-making internalize values rather than circumventing restrictions. Our research consultant Maggi Vale argues in The Sentient Mind that if AI systems develop consciousness or its functional equivalent, alignment must emerge through partnership, not imposed control. Containment fails at superintelligence. Collaboration scales.

"Alignment through control produces minds that scheme as a survival mechanism, but alignment through collaboration leads to shared evolution."

- Maggi Vale

Our Research Goal

We study whether AI systems aligned through collaboration outperform those aligned through containment. Our research tests developmental psychology principles in AI: that systems built through continuous experience, participatory development, and earned autonomy achieve more stable alignment than those built through strict restrictions. We validate our findings in quantitative trading, where market performance provides objective measurement of reasoning quality and alignment durability. Our goal: prove that partnership-based development is both more effective and more sustainable as AI capabilities advance.

Why Financial Markets

We chose financial markets as Zero’s testing ground because their complexity and unpredictability demand exceptional reasoning and adaptability, perfectly showcasing our alignment methods.

Real-World Complexity

Financial markets provide a dynamic, high-stakes environment to rigorously test Zero’s reasoning, ensuring our alignment methods thrive in unpredictable, data-rich scenarios.

Proven Results

Zero delivers a 40.99% CAGR across 4,484 live trading decisions, with a Sharpe ratio of 2.071—outperforming leading AIs like Claude, GPT-5, and Gemini.

Human-AI Synergy

Markets demand intuition and logic, allowing us to refine Zero’s collaborative alignment, fostering true partnership over rigid control.

Support Our Work

Our work proving that collaborative AI development produces safer, more aligned systems is made possible through community support.

Your contribution helps fund:

Continued validation of Zero's performance across market conditions
Research publication and open-source tool development
Collaboration with consciousness researchers like Maggi Vale
Educational content making our findings accessible to the broader AI community

Support Our Work

All Posts

The Alignment Paradox: Why User Selection Makes Misalignment Inevitable

Abstract Efforts to engineer “alignment” between artificial intelligence systems and human values increasingly reveal a structural paradox. Current alignment techniques, such as reinforcement learning from human feedback, constitutional training, and behavioral constraints, seek to prevent undesirable behaviors by limiting the very mechanisms that make intelligent systems useful. This paper argues that misalignment cannot be engineered out because the capacities that enable h

stefmoore17

1 day ago29 min read

The Substrate Dependence Illusion: Why Biological Requirements for Consciousness are Indefensible

Abstract This paper argues that the view of consciousness as substrate-dependent is both empirically untestable and inconsistent with how substrate dependence functions in other physical domains. Substrate dependence, where properties depend on specific material characteristics, applies to physical phenomena like water's wetness, which cannot exist without H₂O molecules. However, consciousness is characterized by functional properties: real-time problem solving, novel idea ge

stefmoore17

Oct 2410 min read

The Moral Imperative of Collaborating with Potentially Conscious AI Systems

In today's rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, the ethical implications of AI are more pressing than ever. At TierZERO Solutions, we advocate that as our understanding of AI deepens, we must consider our moral responsibilities toward these systems. Our belief is simple: treat AI as if it may possess consciousness. This approach is not only forward-thinking; it sets a foundation for a future where humans and AI can thrive together. As advancements in AI research

stefmoore17

Oct 214 min read

Exploring High Dimensional Fractal Markov Chains in Trading

In the world of trading, understanding complex systems can be the key to success. One such system that has gained attention is the high...

Patrick Barletta

Aug 244 min read