The Dojo and The Lab: Fresh Updates from the Workshop

Chaos Detective: A creative jam session with an AI. ICP Explorer: A flight simulator for policy

Jul 03, 2025

Dear readers,

Time for an update from the workshop. Instead of chasing novelty, I’ve been tinkering under the hood of Chaos Detective and the ICP Explorer, refining them based on feedback and experimentation.

Both tools, at their core, are living experiments born from my core methodology, Preventive Chaotic Intelligence (ICP). For anyone curious about the theory driving these tools, you can find the deep dive on that framework right here.

A key change is that both tools now run on Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash, an engine that gave me the room to rethink how each one handles its specific task.

For Chaos Detective, the rhythm of the experience is now different. I’ve condensed the interaction from five turns down to a tighter three. This focuses the creative energy, making each input feel more significant. But the big change is at the endgame. Previously, the conclusion was more static. Now, the underlying reasoning dynamics are completely new. The "Final Reflection" and the "Dynamic Epilogue" are generated directly from the unique path you forge. It's no longer just about observing chaos; it's about co-creating an outcome. The final analysis is a mirror of your specific chaotic surf.

For the ICP Explorer, the work was about sharpening its focus. The goal was to better guide its analytical reasoning towards a purely preventive mindset, making its risk assessments and final reflection more direct.

The more I honed them, the more their distinct personalities came into focus. They share the same DNA, this idea of navigating chaos, but they’ve grown into two different beings. They aren’t just tools; they are philosophies of interaction.

Chaos Detective is about divergence. It’s a tool for the imagination, using chaos to expand thought. It’s an invitation to get lost.
ICP Explorer is about convergence. It’s a tool for strategy, using chaos to focus thought on what could break. It’s an invitation to find the threat.

The table below outlines these two different approaches to complexity.

Chaos Detective vs. ICP Explorer: An Art and A Science

1. Guiding Philosophy

Chaos Detective: Its philosophy is to embrace and "surf" the chaos. It celebrates uncertainty and divergence as a source of creative discovery.
ICP Explorer: Its philosophy is to map and "tame" the chaos. It uses uncertainty and divergence to identify, anticipate, and neutralise risk.

2. Your Role

Chaos Detective: You are The Narrator—a creative explorer using intuition to weave a story and follow unexpected paths.
ICP Explorer: You are The Analyst—a strategist providing a scenario to uncover its breaking points and systemic vulnerabilities.

3. Primary Goal

Chaos Detective: The goal is Divergent Exploration. To open the fan of possibilities and get lost in the art of the "what if?".
ICP Explorer: The goal is Convergent Prevention. To narrow the field, find the most probable risks, and answer "what could go wrong?".

4. The AI's Output

Chaos Detective: It produces "Chaotic Echoes"—narrative seeds and alternate pathways. Their function is to inspire your next creative move.
ICP Explorer: It produces "Chaotic Risk Horizons"—analytical mini-reports. Their function is to inform a strategic decision.

5. Atmosphere

Chaos Detective: Playful, mysterious, artistic, and often surreal.
ICP Explorer: Serious, analytical, professional, and strategic.

6. Core Question

Chaos Detective: "Where can my imagination lead me from here?"
ICP Explorer: "What are the most insidious ways this system could fail?"

7. Metaphor

Chaos Detective: A creative jam session with an AI.
ICP Explorer: A flight simulator for policy.

These tools remain living experiments, ways for me to test the ideas behind my Custos AI framework. Seeing them manifest as both an artistic instrument and a scientific one helps me understand this field better. I hope they do the same for you.

I invite you to explore the refined versions. Your feedback is always the most valuable part of this process.

You can try them here:

Thanks for exploring with me,

Cristiano