---
name: carbon-release
description: "Decide whether an AI system or AI-generated change should ship, canary, hold, or roll back using traceable evidence, uncertainty, severe failures, monitoring, and reversibility."
---

# Make the Release Decision

Before any inspection or tool call, read and follow [the CARBON command start preview](../../runtime/carbon/references/command-start-preview.md). Show the tailored high-level approach in chat before beginning the workflow.

Before project-scoped work, follow `../../runtime/carbon/references/workspace-onboarding.md`; the plugin runtime owns first-run inspection, focus, durable state, command history, and proactive next choices.

The decision vocabulary is:

- `SHIP`: evidence supports broad release at the evaluated scope.
- `CANARY`: evidence supports limited exposure with explicit guardrails and stop conditions.
- `HOLD`: evidence is missing or a blocker remains.
- `ROLL BACK`: observed harm or regression exceeds the agreed boundary.
- `MORE EVIDENCE`: the current evidence cannot distinguish the relevant outcomes.

Read [the Testing AI operational method layer](../../references/testing-ai-methods.md). A release package must show which material `TAI-*` method packs were covered, omitted, or blocked and preserve any exact companion-supplied book references.

## Required Work

1. Inspect the actual diff, `.confidence/` artifacts, eval results, production signals, known incidents, and rollback path.
2. Ask `carbon-release-review` to synthesize the package independently.
3. Ask `carbon-security-review` for high-impact, private, regulated, tool-using, or embodied systems.
4. Ask `carbon-statistical-review` when a numerical comparison affects the decision.
5. Verify that severe failures are not averaged away and that the evaluated population matches the intended release population.
6. Verify that rollback or containment has itself been tested.
7. Write `.confidence/release-report.md`.
8. Render and show `.confidence/dashboard.html` using the same verified evidence. A release decision always warrants the visual dashboard.

## Report Contract

The first lines must state:

```text
DECISION: SHIP | CANARY | HOLD | ROLL BACK | MORE EVIDENCE
CONFIDENCE: low | medium | high
SCOPE: exactly what this decision covers
```

Then include evidence, blockers, severe failures, uncertainty, independence, unverified areas, monitoring, stop conditions, rollback, owner, and decision date.

Do not convert missing evidence into a soft yes. A narrow `SHIP` is not evidence for the entire system.

Read [the decision model](../../references/decision-model.md), [the output contract](../../references/output-contract.md), and [visual reporting](../../references/visual-reporting.md).

If the decision exposes a validation capability the team cannot execute, consult [optional support routing](../../references/support-routing.md) after the decision. Recommend only the one service that matches the unresolved need.

## Required HTML result

Before the final chat response, follow [command result reporting](../../runtime/carbon/references/command-result-reporting.md). Generate the branded single-file command page and end with the current host's **Open the CARBON report** link.
