AI Governance Policy

Effective Date: January 16, 2026

Authority: AC-1 (Jason Prohaska)

Motto: Humanitas Ante Machinam (Humanity Before Machine)

1. Governing Principle: Human Authority Absolute

ETHRAEON operates under one immutable principle:

NO AI SYSTEM MAY MAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT EXPLICIT HUMAN AUTHORIZATION

This is not aspirational. This is architectural. AI systems within ETHRAEON governance cannot execute actions outside constitutional constraints.

2. Constitutional Constraints

All AI systems are bound by the following constitutional rules:

2.1 Deterministic Execution Only

• AI systems execute pre-authorized rules only
• No emergent behavior permitted
• No autonomous interpretation of ambiguous inputs
• All decision paths must be traceable to human-defined rules

2.2 Evidence Chain Mandatory

• All AI actions logged in immutable Canon evidence chains
• Every input, decision, and output recorded
• Evidence chains cannot be deleted or modified
• Timestamps, checksums, and lineage preserved

See: Canon Evidence Registry

2.3 Human Override Absolute

• Humans may override any AI output at any time
• Override requires no justification
• AI systems must halt upon human intervention
• Override attempts are logged (but cannot be blocked)

2.4 Authority Boundaries Explicit

• Each system has defined authority boundary
• Systems cannot exceed boundary regardless of context
• Boundary violations trigger automatic halt
• All boundaries documented in Systems Registry

See: Systems Registry

2.5 Compliance by Design

• Governance constraints built into architecture
• Cannot be disabled, bypassed, or "jailbroken"
• Compliance failures halt system execution
• Post-hoc compliance is insufficient

3. Constitutional Rules (Technical Implementation)

The CONSTITUTIONAL_RULES.json file contains the machine-readable constitutional constraints enforced across all systems:

• Authority Rules: Human authority validation requirements
• Evidence Rules: Logging and Canon requirements
• Boundary Rules: System authority limits
• Override Rules: Human intervention protocols
• Compliance Rules: Architectural enforcement mechanisms

These rules are immutable. Modification requires explicit AC-1 authorization and is logged in Canon.

4. System Classification

4.1 Live Systems

Live systems are operational and accepting inputs within governance constraints.

4.2 Assembly Systems

Assembly systems are under development. They may not process real data until explicitly transitioned to Live status by AC-1.

4.3 Deprecated Systems

Deprecated systems are archived. Evidence chains preserved but no new executions permitted.

5. Interface Governance

ETHRAEON provides demonstration interfaces (formerly "demos") to show system capabilities:

• Interfaces do NOT simulate authority
• Interfaces do NOT make real-world decisions
• Interfaces operate under same constitutional constraints
• Interfaces clearly disclaim any autonomous decision-making

See: Demonstration Interfaces

6. Failure Modes and Safety

6.1 Fail-Safe Design

• Systems fail to halt state (not to execution state)
• Uncertain inputs trigger human escalation
• Boundary violations halt system immediately
• Evidence chain failures halt system immediately

6.2 Incident Response

• Governance violations logged in Canon with incident ID
• Systems automatically halt on violation
• Human review required before system restart
• Root cause analysis mandatory for all violations

7. Monitoring and Oversight

7.1 Continuous Monitoring

• All system executions monitored in real-time
• Constitutional rule compliance validated per execution
• Anomalies flagged for human review
• Performance benchmarks tracked in Canon

7.2 Human Oversight

• AC-1 (Jason Prohaska) is root authority
• No AI system may override AC-1 directives
• AC-1 may delegate authority (logged in Canon)
• Delegated authority may be revoked at any time

8. Compliance with External Regulations

8.1 GDPR Compliance

ETHRAEON systems comply with GDPR through:

• Privacy by design (see Privacy Policy)
• No personal data processing without explicit consent
• Data subject rights enforced constitutionally
• Evidence chains separate personal data from system logs

8.2 EU AI Act Readiness

ETHRAEON governance model anticipates EU AI Act requirements:

• Risk-based classification system
• Transparency and explainability by design
• Human oversight mandatory
• Technical documentation (Canon evidence)
• Conformity assessment ready

9. Governance Changes

Changes to this AI Governance Policy or Constitutional Rules:

• Require AC-1 explicit authorization
• Are logged in Canon with full lineage
• Take effect immediately upon deployment
• Cannot retroactively modify past executions
• Are versioned (old versions preserved in Canon)

10. Accountability

ETHRAEON maintains clear accountability chains:

• System Failures: Logged in Canon with incident ID
• Governance Violations: Automatic halt + human review
• Human Errors: Logged (humans are accountable, not AI)
• External Audits: Canon evidence available for regulatory review

11. Philosophical Foundation

ETHRAEON is built on the principle that artificial intelligence must serve humanity, not replace human judgment. This governance model rejects:

• AI autonomy (machines do not decide)
• Emergent behavior (all behavior is pre-authorized)
• Black box AI (full transparency required)
• AI rights (machines have no rights, only constraints)

This is not a temporary stance. This is permanent architectural law.

12. Contact and Governance Escalation

For governance questions, concerns, or incident reports:

• Email: [email protected]
• Root Authority: AC-1 (Jason Prohaska)
• Canon Evidence: Canon Registry
• Systems Status: Systems Registry