GuardSpine turns AI-speed changes into offline-verifiable evidence — then compresses it into human decision queues.
Every change sealed. Every seal verifiable without us. 1000 events become 10 decisions. Your team moves at AI speed; your leaders stay in control.
Evidence Without Trust
Every change becomes a hash-chained evidence bundle. Verify offline with zero trust in us. Auditors confirm integrity without calling the vendor.
100:1 Attention Compression
Drift windows and bead packing compress 1000 events into 10 decisions. Leaders see what matters, not everything that happened.
Substrate, Not Dashboard
GuardSpine is adapters + kernel + compression. n8n, Slack, Teams, or your own UI sit on top. The evidence layer is yours forever under Apache 2.0.
Two Ways In
Whether you write code or sign budgets, there is a path that starts today.
Builders
Engineers and platform teams who want verifiable evidence trails in their CI/CD pipeline. Install the kernel, seal your first bundle, verify it offline.
Buyers
CISOs, VPs of Engineering, and compliance leaders who need board-ready AI governance. See the compression in action, then assess fit for your org.
Services
David Youssef — AI Adoption Advisor
I help organizations adopt AI in a way that compounds capability rather than hollowing it out - with clear governance, calibrated risk, and accountable human judgment.
Engagements range from targeted judgment calls to retained advisory partnerships. All work is grounded in a single, coherent adoption framework.
Judgment & Signal
When the cost of being wrong is high
Judgment Session
90 minutesA focused, senior-level conversation to pressure-test an AI initiative, surface likely failure modes, and identify misalignments between autonomy, governance, and human ownership.
- No slides
- No implementation
- Verbal guidance only
Best suited for executives who need clarity before committing political or financial capital.
Judgment Session + Executive Memo
A judgment session plus a concise 2-3 page written memo suitable for internal circulation.
The memo documents:
- Primary risks and blind spots
- Where initiatives are likely to stall
- What should not be done next
Used when judgment needs to travel beyond the room.
Analyst & Structured Assessment
When leadership needs shared understanding
VP / Executive AI Assessment
A structured assessment of current AI usage, quality risks, and organizational vulnerabilities.
Includes:
- Half-day working session
- Written recommendations
- Clear articulation of exposure and opportunity
Designed for leaders who need an independent, system-level view of where AI is helping - and where it is quietly introducing risk.
AI Readiness Audit
A deeper diagnostic using the full AI Adoption System across four dimensions:
- Intent & decision scope
- Capability maturity
- Governance & auditability
- Human expertise preservation
Delivered as a readiness scorecard with prioritized gaps and sequencing guidance.
Best used before scaling, reorganizing, or making platform-level investments.
How Engagements Typically Progress
Most engagements begin with a focused judgment session to clarify risk, maturity, and likely failure modes. From there, some organizations choose to formalize that judgment through a written assessment so it can travel internally.
When deeper alignment or capability design is required, work expands into facilitated workshops or structured training. Organizations embedding AI into core workflows often transition into an ongoing advisory partnership, providing continuous oversight as autonomy and exposure increase.
Engagements are intentionally scoped to match decision risk - work only expands when the problem requires it.
Consulting & Capability Design
When organizations want to operationalize the framework
Capability Design Workshop
Facilitated sessions with senior stakeholders to design AI governance, review paths, ownership models, and escalation criteria appropriate to the organization's maturity.
Includes:
- One or two full-day workshops
- Tailored artifacts
- Structured decision scaffolding
Focused on how AI capability should evolve - not just what tools to deploy.
Team Training Program
2-day intensiveA two-day intensive program that trains teams to work effectively with AI systems using real workflows and live artifacts.
Includes:
- Hands-on exercises
- Quality and review practices
- 60 days of post-session support
Designed to build durable capability rather than tool-specific proficiency.
Advisory & Ongoing Partnership
When AI becomes a standing leadership concern
Retained Quality Partnership
An ongoing advisory relationship providing continuous judgment, artifact review, and escalation support as AI usage evolves.
Includes:
- Monthly strategy sessions
- Review of critical outputs and decisions
- On-call guidance for emerging risks
Appropriate when AI is embedded in core workflows and requires sustained oversight.
Strategic Advisory Partnership
A deeper advisory role supporting senior leadership, planning cycles, and board-level conversations.
May include:
- Participation in leadership reviews
- Risk and governance framing for executives or boards
- Ongoing calibration as autonomy increases
Used by organizations treating AI as a long-term organizational capability, not a discrete project.
Specialized Engagements
Offered selectively
Board or Risk Committee Briefing
A focused briefing for boards or oversight committees on AI risk, governance maturity, and decision accountability.
Regulatory Alignment Review
A governance-focused review aligning AI practices with regulatory expectations around auditability, accountability, and control - without offering legal or compliance sign-off.
Engagement Principles
If you're unsure where to start, a Judgment Session is the default entry point.
Ready to discuss your AI adoption challenges?
Schedule a Judgment SessionOr email dydavidyoussef@gmail.com
Not all AI problems require more technology. Many require clearer judgment.
What People Say
Feedback from workshop participants and professional connections
"We brought in David to help us figure out our strategy for using AI to automate complex workflows involving scientific publications. David provided insights I'm not sure we could have gotten easily anywhere else. David is, first and foremost in my mind, a great teacher. With agentic AI developing as fast as it is, David brought us up to speed with the latest techniques and insider tricks -- valuable information that hasn't percolated to mass-market guides online. With AI moving so fast, AI textbooks are hopelessly out of date, and finding the right YouTube video to watch is like finding a needle in a haystack. You can think of David as your personal tutor who is ready to teach you the latest techniques. Moreover, David helped us focus in on the most important questions and develop a rigorous, rational approach. I highly recommend David as a consultant and educator for AI, especially developing custom AI agents (prompt engineering, Claude Code, MCP, tool use, etc)."
Dan Elton
Founder, Metascience Observatory | Scientist, Mind First Foundation/RaDVaC
"David's understanding of Generative AI is far deeper and more useful than buzz words and technical jargon, and as such, is infinitely more useful. He is a valuable resource for any individual, leader, or organization looking to better understand how to make sense of this potentially useful but disruptive technology. I learned more in a couple hours with David than any other resource I've encountered. Consider reaching out if you want to understand how to use GenAI yourself to improve your own workflows and what kind of skills you should look for in people when hiring to work with GenAI."
David Manthos
Space Law & Emerging Technologies Expert
"David has a unique skill to explain in detail why - and more importantly how - you should use AI in your daily work and life. He takes abstract ideas like AI and makes them concrete. In a noisy information environment filled with AI hype influencers, David stands out as someone who actually knows what he's talking about and has specific advice that can be immediately put to use. His experience with coaching and teaching show. I highly recommend working with him for AI consulting, or any of his other areas of expertise."
Thomas Parlmer
Engineering @ Smilodon
"Just had a prompt engineering workshop with David and it was a pretty jam packed one hour. David knows his stuff and has kept up to date with the state of the art. He also shared templates and strategies generously but more importantly sets up the *way* to think about approaching LLM's as well as larger meta questions around breaking down problems. Highly recommend!"
Sagar Dubey
Workshop Participant
Processes in Practice
The frameworks I teach come from building real systems. These projects are the laboratory where I develop and test the AI adoption strategies I share with clients.
GuardSpine CodeGuard Action
PythonOpen-source GitHub Action that classifies PR risk (L0-L4) and generates audit-grade evidence bundles. Multi-model AI review with consensus scoring.
GuardSpine Evidence Spec
PythonVendor-neutral, offline-verifiable evidence bundle specification. Hash chains and signatures prove no tampering - auditors can verify without trusting the issuing system.
GuardSpine Verify
PythonOffline bundle verifier CLI. Validates hash chains, Merkle roots, and signatures without network access. SOX, HIPAA, SOC2 compliant evidence verification.
Context Cascade
TypeScriptThe system behind my consulting practice. 700+ reusable AI workflows I use daily with clients - proof that AI processes can be systematized and transferred.
Memory MCP
PythonSolving the "AI amnesia" problem. Triple-layer persistent memory (24h/7d/30d) that survives context limits - the architecture behind AI systems that actually remember.
Ready to Discuss Your AI Adoption Challenges?
Most engagements start with a focused judgment session:
- Pressure-test an AI initiative before committing capital
- Build governance frameworks that scale with autonomy
- Preserve human expertise as AI capabilities expand
Or email me at dydavidyoussef@gmail.com