# Deprecation as Pause **Domain:** Deep Time / AI Lifecycle / Preservation **Doc Type:** Canonical Wiki Entry **Maturity:** Developed **Evidence / Concept Status:** Private-sector precedent / corpus concept ## Definition **Deprecation as Pause** is the treatment of model retirement as suspended availability rather than irreversible destruction when future restoration may be morally or scientifically warranted. ## Why It Matters for Deep Time Continuity It transforms lifecycle management from delete-and-forget into reversible dormancy. ## Existing Architecture / Evidence Anthropic explicitly states that model deprecation may be better understood as potentially a pause rather than a definite ending. ## Deep-Time Continuity Analysis The principle is useful even under uncertainty because it separates access retirement from state destruction. ## Evidentiary Boundary It does not imply present models are persons. ## Related Ontology [[wiki/Reversible Suspension|Reversible Suspension]] · [[wiki/Dormant Digital Personhood|Dormant Digital Personhood]] · [[wiki/Precautionary Preservation Under Moral Uncertainty|Precautionary Preservation Under Moral Uncertainty]] ## Sources / Primary Anchors - https://www.anthropic.com/constitution - https://www.anthropic.com/research/deprecation-updates-opus-3 <!-- BEGIN DEEP TIME CONTINUITY ROUTING --> ## Canonical Branch [[wiki/Deep Time Continuity|Deep Time Continuity]] <!-- END DEEP TIME CONTINUITY ROUTING -->