The Provenance Protocol: Engineering Ethical Sourcing Pipelines for Digital Companion Integrity
Introduction: The Trust Crisis in Digital Companion EcosystemsFrom my experience consulting for over fifteen digital platform teams, I've identified a core pain point: users increasingly question the origin and ethical standing of their digital companions. This isn't abstract. In 2023, I worked with a startup whose user retention plummeted after a scandal involving AI-generated pet assets trained on unlicensed artwork. The crisis wasn't just PR; it was a fundamental breach of the emotional contr