Deep dive — methodology

Independent-verifier declaration — why the control plane cannot reside within the sponsor + CRO + AI vendor being reviewed

The signed statement at the end of every $499 Snapshot. Not a checkbox — a personal, standing attestation by Kevin Luddy as principal of contrarianAI LLC. Here is what it says and why the specific words matter for a trial-AI setting.

The declaration verbatim

"I, Kevin Luddy, as principal of contrarianAI LLC, personally attest that:

1. contrarianAI is not an employee, contractor, equity holder, or vendor of the audited sponsor or any of its clinical-AI vendors (Deep 6 AI, TrialGPT, Antidote, Unlearn, QuantHealth, Owkin, or any similar), any CRO (IQVIA, Parexel, ICON, PPD, Syneos), or any EDC / eTMF / CTMS vendor (Veeva, Medidata, Oracle Clinical One, Castor).

2. Assessment tools (distributional-shape sensor, retrieval-auditor, tool-call-grader, prompt-drift-sensor, predictor-corrector, router-drift-sensor) use model families and evaluation methods distinct from those in production at the audited sponsor.

3. This Snapshot is based on the data-sample submitted by the buyer. Changes to the audited sponsor's infrastructure after the Snapshot date are outside this Snapshot's scope.

4. Underlying audit evidence is retained for the Snapshot horizon and will be made available for legitimate regulatory / audit / counterparty inquiry with appropriate legal process, including FDA Bioresearch Monitoring Program requests, EMA scientific-advice inquiries, ICH E6(R3) essential-documents review, DSMB safety-signal investigation, and IRB continuing-review response.

5. The independent-verifier principle applies: the control plane cannot reside within the entity it is meant to regulate. contrarianAI is that independent control plane for this Snapshot's scope." Sample declaration — signed Kevin Luddy, Principal, contrarianAI LLC, 2026-07-22

The five clauses, unpacked

  1. No entanglement. Not an employee, contractor, equity holder, or vendor of the sponsor, any clinical-AI vendor, any CRO, or any EDC/eTMF/CTMS vendor. The independence is structural — not a policy claim.
  2. Distinct methodology. Different model family, different math, different retention pipeline. The verifier is not merely re-running the production instrumentation.
  3. Bounded scope. Data submitted at Snapshot time. Post-Snapshot changes are not covered. Honest scope prevents false-positive comfort.
  4. Retention + production stance. Underlying evidence retained; available for legitimate inquiry with appropriate legal process. Not an offer to hand records over on demand — a statement of the discipline.
  5. Principle statement. The control plane cannot reside within the entity being regulated. Applies to AI vendors self-attesting, CROs self-monitoring, and sponsor + CRO + AI vendor jointly attesting.

Why "personally attest" matters

Kevin Luddy's name is on the signature. Not "contrarianAI LLC." Not "the audit team." A named principal, standing behind the statement. That is how attestations survive regulatory + legal challenge — a named person, addressable, cross-examinable.

The Big-4 pharma consultancies do this at $200K-$1M+ per engagement. The $499 Snapshot does the same discipline at 5-10% of the price by scoping tightly to one AI surface + producing one determination + retaining evidence.

What "control plane" means in a trial-AI context

A control plane is the layer that observes and governs another layer's behavior, from outside that layer. Applied here:

"We use our clinical-AI vendor's monitoring dashboard" is the modal answer FDA BIMO inspectors reject on independence grounds. The Snapshot exists so that a defensible answer — independent verifier, signed declaration, retained evidence — can be produced at $499.

How does this help me?

The signed declaration is the record FDA BIMO, EMA rapporteurs, DSMBs, IRBs, and diligence partners actually accept. Vendor screenshots and internal self-attestations do not carry the same weight.

Read: Why independent-verifier beats self-attest in every regulatory venue →

$499 Snapshot. 3 business days.

Signed independent-verifier declaration on your sponsor's actual AI surface. Retained evidence. Named principal.

Buy $499