Engagement models

Three ways to engage Axiom Ethics.

Whether you need a single durable reference document, an ongoing ethics partner, or a bespoke normative framework your in-house team can put to work, the tiers below share one commitment: rigorous philosophy, applied to your system, in language your team can act on.

The tiers

Scope, deliverables, and process for each engagement.

Each tier is a fixed scope you can evaluate on its own merits. Pick the one that fits today’s need; tiers can ladder up over time.

Tier 01

Moral Alignment Audit

A one-time, four-week evaluation of a single named AI system or design proposal against deontological, virtue, and religious-philosophical criteria.

One-time · 4-week fixed scope

Scope

Ideal when you have a defined system, model, or feature you need a credible ethical read on — before launch, before public release, or before a major governance milestone.

Deliverables

  • Written report (≥ 25 pp PDF) of findings, with per-criterion analysis
  • Tradition-by-tradition deep-dive sections (deontological, virtue, theological)
  • Cross-tradition synthesis showing what survives the triangulation
  • Prioritized governance recommendations with concrete remediation steps
  • 60-minute readout call with stakeholders

Process

  1. 1Discovery intake call to scope the system in view
  2. 2Document and system review (specs, sample outputs, prior incidents)
  3. 3Tradition-by-tradition evaluation
  4. 4Draft report & internal reviewer pass
  5. 5Final report delivery and 60-minute readout
Sample written report →

See a worked Tier 1 deliverable on TriageAssist-LLM.

Request a Moral Alignment Audit →

Tier 02

Ongoing Ethics Advisory

A monthly retainer for an in-flight AI program — standing relationship, scheduled review cadence, and on-call advisory.

Monthly retainer · quarterly reviews

Scope

Right for teams already shipping AI-augmented features who want a trusted ethics partner in the room on a recurring basis, not just at launch checkpoints.

Deliverables

  • Monthly advisory hours — asynchronous review plus a 60-minute working session
  • Quarterly written review covering new features, incidents, and policy changes
  • Lightweight memo on demand for board- or regulator-facing questions
  • Preferred-client response within one business day
  • Annual scope refresh and retainer-level governance retrospective

Process

  1. 1Onboarding assessment and alignment on retainer scope
  2. 2Monthly working sessions (60 minutes, agenda shared in advance)
  3. 3Quarterly written review delivered to the lead stakeholder
  4. 4Ad-hoc memo + escalation path as needs arise
  5. 5Annual scope refresh and readout
Discuss a retainer →

Tier 03

Custom Normative Framework Development

A bespoke build for an in-house ethics, safety, or governance team — a documented normative framework your team can use as a first-party reference.

Bespoke · typically 8–16 weeks

Scope

Choose this when your organization needs its own durable ethical frame — not a one-off audit, but the document your team re-reads when the questions keep changing.

Deliverables

  • Framework document (deontological / virtue / theological pillars with applied sections)
  • Worked examples applied to 3–5 internal cases
  • Reviewer + red-team sessions to stress-test the framework
  • Train-the-trainer session for the in-house ethics team
  • Editable source so the framework can be versioned internally

Process

  1. 1Stakeholder mapping and framework scope alignment
  2. 2Working draft with weekly reviews
  3. 3Case-study workshops with the in-house team
  4. 4Red-team and external reviewer pass
  5. 5Handover and train-the-trainer session
Scope a custom framework →

Buyer FAQs

Common questions before booking.

Quick answers to the objections ethics and procurement leads raise most often. For anything else, write to us directly.

What does Tier 1 cost and what is — and isn’t — in scope?

Tier 1 is a fixed-fee engagement with scope set in the intake call and locked in the engagement letter — final price depends on system complexity, document volume, and the number of systems in view, so we quote on intake not on a published rate card. In scope is one named system or design proposal, with a written report, tradition deep-dives, and a 60-minute readout. Out of scope are ongoing review, multi-system portfolio audits, board-facing memo writing, and regulator-facing filings — those are Tier 2 or Tier 3 work.

Still deciding? Email us →

Are deliverables covered by NDA, and does Tier 2 include attorney-client privilege where applicable?

A mutual NDA is standard pre-engagement and the engagement letter binds both sides to it; reports and sample outputs remain the client’s confidential material. Axiom does not provide legal advice and does not establish attorney-client privilege — Tier 2 is a consulting engagement, and any privilege claim should flow through the client’s outside counsel. Axiom’s own outputs are treated as work product under the engagement letter’s confidentiality terms.

Still deciding? Email us →

Can we buy a 2-week paid pilot before committing to the Tier 2 retainer?

Yes — we offer a paid short-engagement scoping study (a Tier-1-style scoped report on a narrow slice) at a fixed fee before any Tier 2 retainer. The pilot is not free and not a discount applied to Tier 2 — it is its own paid engagement — and any findings, draft work, or sample outputs produced during the pilot remain the client’s IP.

Still deciding? Email us →

What is your conflict-of-interest policy vs. foundation-model labs you also advise?

Written conflict checks run before every engagement kickoff. If Axiom holds a current engagement with a foundation-model lab whose work is materially in scope for the prospective client’s matter, that engagement is disclosed on an enumerated list and we decline the engagement where a direct conflict exists. Axiom does not publish or endorse specific labs, and our advice is scoped to the client’s stated question rather than a vendor comparison.

Still deciding? Email us →

After engagement ends, do you retain or publish any audit findings?

The client owns the deliverable on engagement close. Axiom retains only a one-line internal record (client name, dates, scope type) for future conflict-tracking, and never publishes or summarises engagement findings in public materials, case studies, or marketing copy without the client’s written consent.

Still deciding? Email us →

Not sure yet

Not sure which tier fits?

Take the 2-minute self-assessment to get a personalised risk profile, or write to us for a confidential conversation. We will help you pick the engagement that matches your system and your timeline.

Talk to us about your system →Take the 2-minute self-assessment →