> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.openbotauth.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.openbotauth.org/open-research-problems.md).

# Open Research Problems

1. **What is a bot?:** A formal definition of a bot is still TBD.
2. **What is Trust?:** Establishing what constitutes "trusted" behavior or "trustworthy" agents is left to implementers and policy decisions outside this protocol.
3. **Multi-user OBO agent :** Authentication for agents that act on behalf of multiple users simultaneously is not addressed in this specification.
4. **Server-side vs client-side bot architecture:** The specification does not differentiate between centrally-hosted bots and locally-run agents originating from end-user devices.
5. **Reputation systems:** Mechanisms for tracking bot behavior history or maintaining reputation scores across services are not included.
6. **Bot impersonation:** Detecting or preventing bots from falsely claiming another bot's identity is outside the core authentication scope.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.openbotauth.org/open-research-problems.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.