Apollo Research proposes embedded evaluation principles and a claim-based verdict scheme

Apollo Research publishes principles for embedded evaluations, arguing that external evaluators should receive near-employee-level access to assess loss-of-control risks from model scheming. The article proposes that effective embedded evaluations must meet four criteria: reduce risk, inform the public, create good incentives, and be fair to both developers and evaluators. In terms of concrete design, evaluators issue verdicts from A to E, ranging from Verified to Blocked, on pre-specified concrete claims (such as the model never attempting to undermine its own safety training, or the agent never accessing external services without authorization), and by default publicly report findings, stating the access granted and evidence gaps. The article argues that purely voluntary commitments are insufficient to safeguard incentives, and that embedded evaluations should ultimately be legally mandated; it also recommends a two-tier rapid disclosure mechanism for serious findings, with the most severe cases reportable directly to relevant authorities.