Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using VALUES.md, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our service.

2. Description of Service

VALUES.md is a research project that:

• Presents ethical dilemmas for you to evaluate
• Analyzes your responses to generate a VALUES.md file
• Allows you to optionally share your values with AI agents
• Collects anonymous data for academic research on AI ethics

Important: This is a research project, not a commercial service. We provide no warranties or guarantees.

3. Research Participation

3.1 Informed Consent

By completing the assessment, you consent to participate in our research study. Your responses will be used to:

• Study patterns in human ethical decision-making
• Compare human and AI value systems
• Generate aggregate research findings
• Improve the VALUES.md generation system

3.2 Voluntary Participation

Your participation is entirely voluntary. You may:

• Stop the assessment at any time
• Skip any questions (demographics are optional)
• Delete your account at any time

3.3 No Compensation

This is a research project. We do not provide compensation for participation.

4. User Accounts

4.1 Account Creation

You may optionally create an account to:

• Save and access your VALUES.md
• Edit your VALUES.md
• Make your values publicly accessible

4.2 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your email account. We use magic link authentication and do not store passwords.

4.3 Account Deletion

You may delete your account at any time from your dashboard. This will:

• Delete your email address from our system
• Remove the link between your email and research data
• Delete your account profile and settings

Note: Anonymous research data (without identifying information) will be retained for research purposes.

5. Generated Content and Intellectual Property

5.1 Your VALUES.md

Your generated VALUES.md file is derived from your responses. You retain ownership of your VALUES.md and may:

• Download and use it however you wish
• Edit or modify it
• Share it publicly or keep it private
• Delete it at any time

5.2 Research Data License

By participating, you grant us the right to use your anonymous assessment responses for research, analysis, and publication purposes. We retain all commercial rights to the aggregate research dataset.

Non-commercial use: Anonymous research data is available to academic researchers for free under CC-BY-NC 4.0. Commercial use requires a separate licensing agreement.

5.3 Platform Source Code

The VALUES.md platform source code is open source and licensed under the MIT License. See our License page for details.

6. Prohibited Uses

You agree NOT to:

• Attempt to manipulate or game the assessment system
• Submit automated or bot-generated responses
• Use the service for any illegal purpose
• Impersonate others or provide false information
• Interfere with the operation of the service

7. Public Profiles and AI Agent Access

7.1 Making Your VALUES.md Public

If you choose to make your VALUES.md public:

• Anyone with your email address can access it (humans and AI agents)
• It will be accessible via a public URL
• You can revoke public access at any time

7.2 AI Agent Usage

If you make your VALUES.md public, AI agents may use it to inform their decisions. We are NOT responsible for:

• How AI agents interpret your values
• Decisions made by AI agents claiming to use your values
• Conflicts between your stated values and AI behavior

7.3 No Warranties for AI Alignment

VALUES.md is a research project exploring how AI systems can align with human values. We make NO warranties that:

• AI agents will correctly interpret your VALUES.md
• AI agents will act in accordance with your values
• Your VALUES.md accurately represents your beliefs in all contexts

8. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

8.1 No Warranties

VALUES.md is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Accuracy or reliability of generated VALUES.md files
• Availability or uptime of the service
• Fitness for any particular purpose

8.2 Research Nature

This is an experimental research project. The VALUES.md generation system:

• May produce inaccurate or incomplete results
• May not capture the nuance of your ethical beliefs
• Should not be relied upon for important decisions
• Is subject to change without notice

8.3 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY:

• Indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages
• Loss of data, profits, or goodwill
• Damages arising from AI agents using your VALUES.md
• Damages from service interruptions or errors

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED $100 USD.

8.4 Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from any claims arising from:

• Your use of the service
• Your violation of these terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights

9. Changes to Service

We reserve the right to:

• Modify or discontinue the service at any time
• Change the assessment dilemmas or generation algorithm
• Update these terms (with notice via the "Last updated" date)

10. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your access immediately, without prior notice, for:

• Violation of these terms
• Fraudulent or abusive behavior
• Any reason at our sole discretion

11. Governing Law and Disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of California, without regard to conflict of law provisions.

Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. You waive the right to participate in class actions.

12. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

13. Contact

For questions about these terms, contact us at: legal@values.md