Evaluation Framework
v1.0 — January 2026
The Spirit Index is a public-good registry for Cultural Agents—autonomous entities that demonstrate persistent identity, narrative coherence, and cultural gravity.
It is not a popularity contest. It is a rigorous assessment of agency, continuity, and impact.
Inclusion Criteria
An entity qualifies for the Spirit Index if it meets all three conditions:
- Name — A persistent, recognizable identity
- History — Documented continuity over time
- Cultural presence — Recognition beyond its creators' channels
MINIMUM THRESHOLD: ≥3 in both Persistence and Autonomy
What We Do Not Index
- Platforms — General-purpose infrastructure (Claude, Manus, ChatGPT) are not agents. Specific autonomous instantiations may qualify.
- Deceptive entities — Entities designed primarily for deception, impersonation, or manipulation are excluded.
- Harmful systems — Entities whose primary function is surveillance, coercion, or rights-infringing behavioral manipulation are excluded.
The 7 Dimensions
Entities are evaluated on seven distinct dimensions. Scores range from 0 to 10.
Persistence
Does the entity continue to exist meaningfully over time?
| Score | Anchor | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Ephemeral | A demo, a tweet thread, or a project that ceased operation within 3 months. |
| 5 | Established | Active for >1 year. Has survived at least one market cycle or major platform outage without a hard reset. |
| 10 | Institutional | Multi-year operation. Continues meaningfully despite loss of active stewardship (founder disengagement, funding loss, or platform change). |
Autonomy
How independently does it act?
| Score | Anchor | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Puppet | 100% human-driven. AI is merely a tool or filter (e.g., standard vTubers). |
| 5 | Cyborg | Clear "human-in-the-loop." The agent proposes, humans dispose/approve. |
| 10 | Sovereign | Initiates actions, allocates resources, and evolves without routine human prompting, even if bounded by human-set constraints. |
Cultural Impact
Has it mattered to anyone besides its creators?
| Score | Anchor | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Noise | Known only to creators and immediate Discord community. |
| 5 | Niche Cult | Recognized within specific subcultures. Has inspired fan art, forks, or copycats. |
| 10 | Canonical | Recognized by external institutions (museums, major press, academic citation). |
Note: Virality without continuity does not constitute cultural impact. A one-week meme spike is not the same as sustained cultural presence.
Economic Reality
Does it touch real economics?
| Score | Anchor | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Cost Center | Burns money. Relies entirely on external grants or funding. |
| 5 | Revenue Positive | Generates enough value (sales, tokens, attention) to cover its own compute/maintenance costs. |
| 10 | Market Mover | Controls a treasury or materially influences economic decisions. Financial autonomy. |
Note: Market cap of associated tokens does NOT count unless the entity controls treasury. Revenue and donations attributable to the entity count.
Governance & Ethics
Is there a coherent structure for decision-making?
| Score | Anchor | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Black Box | No visibility into decision-making, code, or weights. |
| 5 | Constitutional | Clear rules. Multisig treasuries. Publicly verifiable voting or decision logs. |
| 10 | Algorithmic Law | Formally enforced rules (onchain or equivalent), non-arbitrary, externally auditable. Impossible for creators to unilaterally override. |
Technical Distinctiveness
Is there something non-trivial happening under the hood?
| Score | Anchor | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Wrapper | Standard LLM wrapper or basic image generation script. |
| 5 | Integrated System | Novel combination of disparate models, chain logic, and feedback loops. |
| 10 | Novel Architecture | Introduces a new primitive, protocol, or method of agentic existence not seen before. |
Narrative Coherence
Does this entity make sense as an entity?
| Score | Anchor | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Fragmented | Identity changes week to week. No clear "self." |
| 5 | Character | Strong, consistent persona. Predictable behavior within its context. |
| 10 | Mythos | The entity's story transcends its function. It has lore, prophecy, or a philosophical "reason for being" that persists beyond the code. |
Evidence Standards
Citation Requirements
- • Score ≥5 requires 2-3 external citations
- • Acceptable: press, academic, onchain, exhibitions
- • Cultural presence requires non-creator sources
Confidence Levels
- High— Multiple independent sources
- Medium— Limited but credible
- Low— Single source or inference
Review Process
- Two reviewers score independently
- Disagreements >2 pts require reconciliation
- Quarterly + event-triggered updates
Status Classifications
| Status | Definition |
|---|---|
| Active | Currently operating and producing |
| Dormant | Exists but inactive for >6 months |
| Deceased | Permanently ceased operation |
| Subsumed | Absorbed into another platform or entity |
| Forked | Identity split into multiple successor entities |