Frequently asked questions
Can I sign up for North Star?
Section titled “Can I sign up for North Star?”No. The current product is a private reference implementation. There is no public account, installer, or hosted service.
Is the AI running locally?
Section titled “Is the AI running locally?”North Star runs the command system on a server controlled by the owner. The AI model lane can use a local model or an authenticated provider, depending on the task and configuration. The project context, schedules, decisions, and evidence remain in the private system.
Can it continue working while nobody is at the computer?
Section titled “Can it continue working while nobody is at the computer?”Yes, bounded tasks can be queued or scheduled on the server. Resource limits, protected actions, review, and stop conditions still apply.
Can I simply tell it to keep improving a project?
Section titled “Can I simply tell it to keep improving a project?”Conversation can express that direction. North Star then turns it into a project-aware task with an objective, allowed scope, checks, and a stopping point. Open-ended intent does not remove the boundary.
Does it automate every decision?
Section titled “Does it automate every decision?”No. Public release, sensitive access, destructive changes, material spend, and unclear product direction can require a person.
Is the public preview the real dashboard?
Section titled “Is the public preview the real dashboard?”No. The preview is a static product story with fictional examples. The working dashboard remains protected and contains no public links.
Why preserve so much evidence?
Section titled “Why preserve so much evidence?”The goal is not volume. A compact evidence trail lets the next run know what is actually true, makes recovery practical, and prevents a local test from being mistaken for a verified release.
Will North Star become public software?
Section titled “Will North Star become public software?”That has not been announced. These docs describe the current private product honestly and will change if its distribution posture changes.