Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

Welcome to SteeringAPI. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the SteeringAPI platform, website, API services, and any related services (collectively, the "Services") provided by SteeringAPI ("we," "our," or "us").

By accessing or using our Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Services.

We reserve the right to update or modify these Terms at any time. Your continued use of the Services after any changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

2. Description of Services

SteeringAPI provides an AI model steering platform that enables users to:

• Access and interact with open-source large language models (LLMs)
• Utilize advanced model steering features for precision control over model behavior
• Search and discover model features for AI alignment and research purposes
• Generate and manage API keys for programmatic access
• Monitor usage and track API consumption through credits

Our platform is built on vLLM for high-performance inference and is designed for data scientists, AI researchers, and developers working on AI alignment and safety.

Important: Our Services act as a proxy for API requests to underlying AI models. We do not store, log, or retain any prompts, messages, or responses that pass through our system. Your interactions with the models are processed in real-time and are not saved.

3. Eligibility

To use our Services, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts
• Not be prohibited from using the Services under applicable law
• Provide accurate and complete registration information

By creating an account, you represent and warrant that you meet these eligibility requirements.

4. Account Registration and Security

4.1 Account Creation

To access most features of our Services, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
• Maintain and promptly update your account information
• Keep your password and API keys secure and confidential
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access or security breach

4.2 Account Responsibility

You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to:

• Not share your account credentials or API keys with others
• Not allow others to access your account
• Take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized access
• Accept responsibility for all activities conducted through your account

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account credentials.

4.3 API Keys

API keys are provided to enable programmatic access to our Services. You agree to:

• Keep your API keys secure and treat them as sensitive credentials
• Not embed API keys in publicly accessible code or repositories
• Rotate API keys regularly and revoke compromised keys immediately
• Monitor and control usage of your API keys

5. Acceptable Use Policy

5.1 Permitted Use

You may use our Services for lawful purposes, including:

• AI research and development
• Model alignment and safety research
• Building applications and tools that leverage AI capabilities
• Educational and academic purposes
• Commercial applications subject to these Terms

5.2 Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use our Services to:

• Illegal Activities: Engage in any activity that violates applicable laws, regulations, or third-party rights
• Harmful Content: Generate, distribute, or promote content that is:
  • Hateful, harassing, threatening, or discriminatory
  • Violent, graphic, or obscene
  • Fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading
  • Infringing on intellectual property rights
• Malicious Activities: Create malware, viruses, or engage in hacking or phishing attempts
• Privacy Violations: Collect or process personal information without proper consent or legal basis
• Service Abuse: Attempt to:
  • Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble our Services
  • Circumvent usage limits, security measures, or access controls
  • Overload or interfere with our infrastructure
  • Access data or accounts that do not belong to you
• Automated Scraping: Use automated means to scrape or harvest data from our Services without permission
• Reselling: Resell or redistribute access to our Services without explicit written permission
• Impersonation: Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation

5.3 Content Responsibility

You are solely responsible for any content, prompts, or data you submit to our Services and any consequences of such submissions. You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights and permissions to submit such content.

6. Pricing, Payments, and Credits

6.1 Credits System

Our Services operate on a credit-based system. You must purchase credits to use API services. Credits are consumed based on:

• Model used and computational requirements
• Number of tokens processed (input and output)
• Feature search operations
• Other resource-intensive operations

Specific pricing for credits and consumption rates are available on our website and dashboard.

6.2 Payment Processing

Payments are processed through Stripe, our third-party payment processor. By providing payment information, you:

• Authorize us to charge your payment method for purchases
• Represent that you are authorized to use the payment method
• Agree to provide accurate and complete payment information
• Agree to update your payment information as needed

All payments are subject to Stripe's terms and conditions in addition to these Terms.

6.3 Pricing Changes

We reserve the right to modify our pricing at any time. Price changes will be effective upon posting to our website or notification to you. Continued use of the Services after a price change constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

6.4 Refunds

Generally, credits are non-refundable once purchased. However, we may provide refunds at our sole discretion in cases of:

• Service outages or technical errors that prevented access
• Billing errors or duplicate charges
• Other extraordinary circumstances

To request a refund, please contact our support team with details of your request.

6.5 Taxes

You are responsible for all applicable taxes associated with your use of the Services. If we are required to collect or pay taxes, they will be charged to you in addition to the stated prices.

7. Intellectual Property Rights

7.1 Our Intellectual Property

The Services, including all software, technology, designs, graphics, user interfaces, and content (excluding user-generated content), are owned by us or our licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Services in accordance with these Terms. You do not acquire any ownership rights to the Services.

7.2 Your Content and Data

You retain all rights to the content, prompts, and data you submit to our Services. However, you grant us a limited license to:

• Process your requests and provide the Services
• Maintain and improve our Services (using aggregated, anonymized data only)
• Comply with legal obligations

As stated in our Privacy Policy, we do not store or retain your LLM prompts or responses. Any data we do collect is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

7.3 Model Outputs

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, you own the outputs generated by the AI models in response to your prompts. However, outputs may be similar to outputs generated for other users, as the models are not exclusive to you.

7.4 Open Source Models

The underlying AI models used in our Services may be open-source models subject to their own licenses. You are responsible for complying with any applicable model licenses when using outputs or derivatives from those models.

7.5 Feedback

If you provide feedback, suggestions, or ideas about our Services, you grant us a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, modify, and incorporate such feedback without any obligation to you.

8. Service Availability and Modifications

8.1 Service Availability

We strive to provide reliable and consistent access to our Services. However, we do not guarantee that the Services will be:

• Available at all times without interruption
• Error-free or free from bugs or defects
• Secure from unauthorized access or attacks
• Compatible with all systems or devices

We may perform scheduled maintenance or experience unplanned downtime. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you of scheduled maintenance in advance.

8.2 Service Modifications

We reserve the right to:

• Modify, update, or discontinue any aspect of the Services
• Add or remove features
• Change API endpoints or specifications (with reasonable notice)
• Impose new limitations on usage

We will make reasonable efforts to provide advance notice of material changes that may negatively impact your use of the Services.

8.3 Beta Features

We may offer beta or experimental features that are clearly marked as such. These features:

• Are provided on an "as-is" basis
• May be unstable or subject to frequent changes
• May be discontinued without notice
• Should not be used for critical or production workloads

9. Usage Limits and Rate Limiting

We may impose usage limits and rate limits on your use of the Services, including:

• Maximum number of API requests per time period
• Maximum concurrent requests
• Maximum token limits per request
• Credit consumption thresholds

These limits help ensure fair access and maintain service quality for all users. Specific limits may vary based on your account type or plan. Exceeding rate limits may result in temporary throttling or blocking of requests.

If you need higher limits for production use cases, please contact us to discuss custom arrangements.

10. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection, use, and protection of your information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

Key privacy commitments:

• No Message Storage: We do not store, log, or retain LLM prompts or responses that pass through our proxy service
• Limited Data Collection: We collect only the data necessary to provide and improve our Services
• Data Security: We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information
• Third-Party Services: We use reputable third-party services (Clerk for authentication, Stripe for payments) that have their own privacy policies

Please review our Privacy Policy for detailed information about our data practices.

11. Disclaimers and Warranties

11.1 Service Provided "As-Is"

THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS-IS" AND "AS-AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement
• Warranties that the Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure
• Warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content or outputs

11.2 AI Model Outputs

AI models may generate outputs that are:

• Inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading
• Biased or reflect problematic patterns in training data
• Not suitable for specific use cases or applications
• Similar to content created by or for others

You are solely responsible for evaluating the accuracy, appropriateness, and suitability of any outputs for your intended use. You should not rely solely on AI-generated content for critical decisions without human review and verification.

11.3 Third-Party Services

Our Services integrate with third-party services (authentication, payment processing, underlying AI models). We do not warrant or guarantee the performance, availability, or security of these third-party services.

11.4 No Professional Advice

The Services do not provide professional advice (legal, medical, financial, etc.). Outputs should not be considered as professional advice, and you should consult qualified professionals for specific matters.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW:

12.1 IN NO EVENT SHALL STEERINGAPI, ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Loss of profits, revenue, or business opportunities
• Loss of data or information
• Business interruption
• Cost of substitute services
• Loss of goodwill or reputation

ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

12.2 OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICES SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF:

• The amount you paid to us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or
• $100 USD

12.3 Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If these laws apply to you, some or all of the above limitations may not apply, and you may have additional rights.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless SteeringAPI, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to:

• Your use or misuse of the Services
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property or privacy rights
• Your content, prompts, or data submitted to the Services
• Your use of AI-generated outputs
• Any actions taken under your account, whether authorized or unauthorized

We reserve the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification, and you will cooperate with us in asserting any available defenses.

14. Term and Termination

14.1 Term

These Terms commence when you first access or use the Services and continue until terminated as described below.

14.2 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by:

• Deleting your account through the dashboard settings
• Contacting our support team to request account deletion

Upon termination by you, unused credits may not be refunded unless required by law or our refund policy.

14.3 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Services immediately, without notice, if:

• You violate these Terms or our Acceptable Use Policy
• We believe your account poses a security risk
• Your account is involved in fraudulent or illegal activity
• You fail to pay amounts owed
• We are required to do so by law
• We decide to discontinue the Services

14.4 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to access and use the Services immediately ceases
• Your API keys will be deactivated
• We may delete your account and data in accordance with our Privacy Policy
• Provisions that should survive termination (including payment obligations, indemnification, disclaimers, and limitations of liability) will continue to apply

15. Dispute Resolution

15.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing a formal claim, you agree to contact us to attempt to resolve any dispute informally. Please send a detailed description of the dispute to support@steeringapi.com. We will attempt to resolve the matter within 60 days.

15.2 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of [Jurisdiction], without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

15.3 Arbitration

If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services shall be resolved through binding arbitration administered by [Arbitration Organization], except as otherwise provided herein. The arbitration will be conducted in [Location], and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.

15.4 Class Action Waiver

You agree that disputes will be resolved on an individual basis only, and not as a class action, consolidated action, or representative action. You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

15.5 Exceptions

Either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of intellectual property rights.

16. General Provisions

16.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other policies referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and SteeringAPI regarding the Services and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

16.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

16.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be deemed a waiver of such right or provision.

16.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.

16.5 Force Majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, riots, embargoes, acts of civil or military authorities, fire, floods, pandemics, or failures of third-party infrastructure.

16.6 Notices

Notices to you may be made via email to the address associated with your account or by posting to the Services. Notices to us should be sent to legal@steeringapi.com.

16.7 Relationship

These Terms do not create any agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship between you and SteeringAPI.

16.8 Export Compliance

You agree to comply with all applicable export and import control laws and regulations in your use of the Services. You represent that you are not located in a country subject to U.S. government embargo or designated as a "terrorist supporting" country, and that you are not on any government list of prohibited or restricted parties.

17. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms or the Services, please contact us:

18. Acknowledgment

BY USING THE SERVICES, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THESE TERMS OF SERVICE, UNDERSTAND THEM, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, YOU MUST NOT ACCESS OR USE THE SERVICES.