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Verifiable Execution vs Trusted Execution for AI Agents
Short answer: Verifiable execution asks what a reviewer can inspect in a recorded call. Trusted execution asks which hardware, enclave, identity, or policy boundary is trusted. These approaches solve different risks and can be layered without treating trust as evidence of an unobserved result.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-23. This page describes a reviewable evidence pattern and does not claim an outside result without upstream confirmation.
Comparison matrix
| Question | Verifiable execution | Trusted execution |
|---|---|---|
| Core question | Can another reviewer check the recorded call? | Which execution environment or policy boundary is trusted? |
| Evidence | Receipt fields, canonical bytes, verifier, and upstream references. | Attestation, isolation, identity, or policy evidence. |
| Limit | A record may still describe only an observed response. | Trust in an environment does not automatically show the business outcome. |
Open a public execution receipt or call its verifier. The example reports verification_status: verified for the stored record. It is not proof of an unobserved external outcome.
Frequently asked questions
verifiable execution vs trusted execution for AI agents
Verifiable execution asks what a reviewer can inspect in a recorded call. Trusted execution asks which hardware, enclave, identity, or policy boundary is trusted. These approaches solve different risks and can be layered without treating trust as evidence of an unobserved result.
What can a verifiable receipt prove?
It can show what the execution layer recorded and what its integrity checks verify. It cannot prove an unobserved outside outcome.
How can another reviewer check the record?
Open the public receipt, compare the tool, time, result, and status, then call the verifier. Keep outside confirmations separate from the execution record.