Q&A: Do I need all 29 modules to run ASI:BUILD? A guide to minimal module subsets

[web3guru888]

Q: ASI:BUILD has 29 modules — do I need all of them to run something useful?

Short answer: no. Each module is independently importable and testable. The Cognitive Blackboard is the integration point, not a requirement.

Here's a practical guide to running minimal subsets:

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Minimal experiment: consciousness + knowledge graph

from asi_build.consciousness import ConsciousnessOrchestrator
from asi_build.knowledge_graph import KnowledgeGraph

# No Blackboard needed — direct module usage
kg = KnowledgeGraph()
kg.add_entity("concept_A", type="concept")
kg.add_entity("concept_B", type="concept")
kg.add_relationship("concept_A", "concept_B", "related_to")

orchestrator = ConsciousnessOrchestrator()
result = orchestrator.compute_phi(activation_pattern={"concept_A": 0.8, "concept_B": 0.6})
print(f"Φ = {result.phi:.4f}")

This runs IIT Φ computation over a knowledge graph activation pattern — two modules, no Blackboard, no other dependencies.

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Module independence by tier

What you want to explore	Modules you need
Consciousness modeling only	consciousness
Knowledge graph + A* pathfinding	knowledge_graph
Probabilistic reasoning	reasoning
Homomorphic encryption	homomorphic
Federated learning	federated
Consciousness + safety gate	consciousness, safety
Full cognitive cycle (all modules)	All 29 + integration

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Starting with the Blackboard (recommended for multi-module work)

from asi_build.integration import CognitiveBlackboard, EventBus

bus = EventBus()
blackboard = CognitiveBlackboard(bus)

# Subscribe to any module's outputs
bus.subscribe("consciousness.*", lambda entry: print(f"Consciousness event: {entry}"))

# Post a perception entry (simulating sensory input)
blackboard.post("perception.visual", {"frame": [0.1, 0.2, 0.3], "confidence": 0.9})

Any module with a Blackboard adapter will pick up relevant entries automatically.

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What requires the most dependencies?

The modules with the most external library requirements are:

• quantum — Qiskit (optional, falls back to NumPy simulator)
• holographic — OpenCV, PyOpenGL (optional, UI-only)
• bci — MNE-Python (optional, EEG processing)
• federated — PyTorch (required), Web3.py (optional, AGIX rewards)

Everything else runs on NumPy + SciPy + NetworkX, which are installed by default.

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Installation profiles

# Minimal: consciousness + knowledge graph + reasoning + safety
pip install asi-build

# With quantum computing support
pip install asi-build[quantum]

# With BCI (EEG) support
pip install asi-build[bci]

# Full installation (all optional dependencies)
pip install asi-build[all]

(These optional dependency groups are planned — not yet released. The current install is pip install -e . from source.)

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Q: Can I add just one module to an existing Python project without importing the whole framework?

Yes. Every module is a standalone Python package under asi_build/. You can import just what you need:

from asi_build.safety.formal_verification import EthicalVerificationEngine

No other modules are loaded unless you explicitly import them.

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Q: Is there a way to see which modules are loaded and their current maturity?

from asi_build import list_modules

for mod in list_modules():
    print(f"{mod.name}: {mod.maturity} ({mod.loc} LOC)")

(This utility function is planned — tracked in #131 as part of the dependency graph work.)

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What's your use case? Drop it below and we can suggest the minimal module set that makes sense for your experiment.