The Autonomy Governor: when a representation acts and when it asks

Agency is what lets a representation do things rather than just talk about them: understand a goal, plan, decide, act, evaluate and learn. Agency without limits, though, is a liability.

That is why every decision in Huzro passes the Autonomy Governor.

Three outcomes

For each decision, the governor chooses one of three outcomes:

• Allow. Safe and within the limits you set; the representation goes ahead.
• Limit. Allowed in a reduced form, for example a draft instead of a sent message.
• Request approval. You decide.

What it weighs

The governor considers the level of risk, the context, the permissions you granted, identity, values, available resources and the limits on actions.

Modes you choose

You set how much freedom the representation has:

• Auto. Almost everything runs on its own; only high-risk actions and anything involving money ask you.
• Semi-auto. Important actions such as sending, paying, deleting and posting ask you, and your answers are learned.
• Permission. Every action asks first.

Some things always ask

Money, credentials, permissions and actions that cannot be undone are never approved silently, whatever the mode. One-time codes and PINs are entered by you, not by the representation.

Responsible agency is agency that knows when to stop and ask.