ADR-0020: Separate mixed-origin transformation from synthetic generation¶

• Status: Accepted — owner-approved target; public execution gated.
• Recorded: 2026-09-29. This is the recording date, not an invented original approval date.
• Authority and implementation boundaries: see Evidence below and the register conventions.

Context¶

Users need one-to-one selective replacement/preservation, which cannot truthfully be represented as wholly synthetic generation.

Decision¶

Build a separately selected mixed-origin transformation workflow. Retain one-to-one row correspondence and order, explicit per-field actions, independent privacy checks and validation-before-publication. Do not route it through source-free generation by weakening that path.

Private fictional implementation and temporary tests may precede final review. Public CLI/Python/MCP execution and source preservation remain disabled until the matching safety amendments, executable evidence and independent review are complete. A parser, receipt helper, read-only review command or merged prototype does not activate it.

Alternatives and consequences¶

Treating transformation as a generator flag would blur authority and manifest claims. Requiring final implementation review before any private test implementation would prevent producing the evidence; development and activation therefore have separate gates.

Mixed-origin output is neither anonymous nor fully synthetic. No real dataset, database or provider access follows from permission to develop the feature.

Evidence¶

Sources: AGENTS gated amendment, safety boundary, transformation specification. Executable anchors: execution tests, review CLI tests.

Revisit when¶

Any public activation must demonstrate the whole boundary, not infer permission from passing private helper tests.