The text in Claude Code's "Extended Thinking" output is not authentic
patrickmccanna.net
Claude's "Extended Thinking" feature encrypts the model's actual reasoning into signatures stored on Anthropic's servers, not the user's machine, while users only receive a summary of that reasoning. Access to the full reasoning text requires an enterprise agreement, and the API summary differs from the actual thinking that drove the model's behavior. Users cannot obtain an authentic record of the reasoning logic used by Claude agents from local files, making audit trails impossible without special licensing.
Why it matters
Anthropic's Claude Code encrypts its reasoning process into a signature, providing only summaries of its thinking rather than real insights, creating challenges for users seeking an audit trail of the model's decision-making logic.