Architecture: Sense, Then Gate
Architecture: Sense, Then Gate
Layer 1 — Coherence
Continuous, wideband intent and state monitoring.
Answers: What is the state? What is the intent? Are we drifting?
Layer 2 — Authority
Stateless, deterministic gate.
Answers: Is this specific action allowed right now?
Coherence provides the context. Authority provides the boundary.
Layer 1 — Coherence
Continuous, wideband intent and state monitoring.
Answers: What is the state? What is the intent? Are we drifting?
Layer 2 — Authority
Stateless, deterministic gate.
Answers: Is this specific action allowed right now?
Coherence provides the context. Authority provides the boundary.
The Gate: Stateless. Deterministic. Non-Bypassable.
The Gate: Stateless. Deterministic. Non-Bypassable.
Input: Proposed action + full context
Function: Binary admissibility check against predefined boundaries
Output: GO / NO-GO — no reasoning, no negotiation
It is not an AI. It is a circuit breaker.
Failure mode: bounded delay — never unbounded catastrophe.
Input: Proposed action + full context
Function: Binary admissibility check against predefined boundaries
Output: GO / NO-GO — no reasoning, no negotiation
It is not an AI. It is a circuit breaker.
Failure mode: bounded delay — never unbounded catastrophe.
Boundary Condition Layer — State and Intent Input
Boundary Condition Layer — State and Intent Input
Alignment is not subjective. It is measurable.
The system provides real-time state and intent context used by the Authority Gate.
World models learn physics.
Coherence learns intent.
Authority gates execution.
Alignment is not subjective. It is measurable.
The system provides real-time state and intent context used by the Authority Gate.
World models learn physics.
Coherence learns intent.
Authority gates execution.
Observe – Validate – Gate
Observe – Validate – Gate
1. Observe system state and intent (Coherence)
2. Validate proposed action against boundaries
3. Gate execution — release only if admissible
This loop converts catastrophic risk into a managed resource: time.
1. Observe system state and intent (Coherence)
2. Validate proposed action against boundaries
3. Gate execution — release only if admissible
This loop converts catastrophic risk into a managed resource: time.
Where the Authority Layer Is Non-Negotiable
Where the Authority Layer Is Non-Negotiable
Across autonomous vehicles, robotic surgery, financial agents, and critical infrastructure, one requirement is constant: Action must have a final, reliable boundary.
Intelligence cannot guarantee this.
Monitoring cannot enforce it.
Only a dedicated admissibility layer can.
The Authority Layer is not a feature. It is an architectural necessity.
Deploys at the commit boundary of autonomous AI execution.
Across autonomous vehicles, robotic surgery, financial agents, and critical infrastructure, one requirement is constant: Action must have a final, reliable boundary.
Intelligence cannot guarantee this.
Monitoring cannot enforce it.
Only a dedicated admissibility layer can.
The Authority Layer is not a feature. It is an architectural necessity.
Deploys at the commit boundary of autonomous AI execution.
Copyright © 2026
Defining the boundary between reasoning and action
Copyright © 2026
Defining the boundary between reasoning and action