A word does not become what it names.
beforeword is a research project by Kirill Shebetov examining how descriptions of people and AI are used to justify judgments, demands and decisions.
What is written? What interpretation is added? What justifies applying it to someone—and acting on it?
- Read the example below — follow the steps from a written entry to a description and a proposed refusal.
- Read the public proposal — examine those steps while preserving the ability to object without accepting a description as who you are.
- Explore the correspondence — 27 letters to researchers and AI companies, with English texts, Russian translations, purposes, sources and correspondence records.
A form states “Assignment not submitted.” A response adds “The applicant is unreliable,” followed by “Deny participation.” This is a constructed example, not a reported incident.
The first entry does not contain the added description or the refusal. What grounds support each step? What rule permits the refusal? Can the person challenge either step without first accepting “unreliable” as who they are?
beforeword proposes examining the wording, interpretation and offered grounds separately. Its own explanations receive the same examination: using the words “grounds” or “rule” does not itself justify a conclusion.
- Research and earlier work — self-description, diagnostic records, imprisonment, mathematics and other studies.
- Instructions for AI — apply the reading procedure to a response; includes setup and downloads. Claude and OpenAI packages.