The Keon Canon v1
The Architectural Standard for Governed AI
I. Preamble
Artificial intelligence systems are moving from advisory roles to operational authority. They draft code. Approve transactions. Trigger infrastructure changes. Advise human decisions. Influence behavior.
Yet most AI systems remain architecturally opaque. Logs are reconstructive. Policies are advisory. Behavior is unconstrained.
The Keon Canon defines a structural alternative: Governed AI.
II. Official Definition of Governed AI
Governed AI is an architectural model in which artificial intelligence systems operate under enforced policy boundaries and produce cryptographically verifiable evidence of both execution and human-facing expression.
Governance applies to what a system does and how it presents itself to humans. Trust must be verifiable.
III. The Three Domains of Governance
The Keon Canon establishes governance across three domains. Together, these domains form the substrate of Governed AI.
Operational Governance
What a system does under enforced policy constraints.
Structural Governance
How authority is architecturally separated from action.
Behavioral Governance
How the system presents itself to humans under contractual constraints.
IV. Operational Governance
The Law of Execution Integrity
AI systems must execute under enforceable policy constraints.
Requirements
- •Runtime policy enforcement
- •Receipt generation during execution
- •Deterministic artifact recording
- •Cryptographic binding of manifests
- •Independent verification capability
Execution without enforced governance is structurally insufficient. Logs are not governance. Receipts are.
V. Structural Governance
The Law of Architectural Separation
Authority and action must be separated. Governed AI systems must maintain architectural distinction between the Execution Engine and the Governance Substrate.
Execution Engine
Performs workflows under constraints it did not define and cannot modify.
Governance Substrate
Enforces policy, produces receipts, verifies artifacts. Governs without executing.
This Prevents
Self-authorizing execution
Hidden policy mutation
Silent privilege escalation
Separation of powers is mandatory.
VI. Behavioral Governance
The Law of Behavioral Sovereignty
Governance extends beyond execution. Any AI system that presents human-facing expression must comply with an approved Behavioral Policy prior to exposure.
Behavior is not cosmetic. Behavior is contractual.
Behavioral Evaluation Gate
Human-facing expression must pass a Behavioral Evaluation Gate before exposure. Evaluation determines:
Compliance status
Rewrite eligibility
Violation severity
Final disposition
Critical violations fail closed in strict mode. Expression without governance is prohibited.
Behavioral Policy Must Define
- •Archetype declaration
- •Lexical constraints
- •Structural framing rules
- •Emotional temperature bounds
- •Agency preservation standards
- •Enforcement severity classifications
Behavioral drift requires version increment and ratification. Silent behavioral mutation is prohibited.
VII. Receipt-Based Accountability
Governed AI systems produce structured receipts. Receipts may be independently verified.
Policy version
Execution ID
Expression hash
Tenant scope
Timestamp
Digital signature
Governance is evidenced, not asserted.
VIII. Deterministic Artifacts
Governed Systems Must Produce
- •Canonical manifests
- •Stable hash-bound artifacts
- •Verifiable signature chains
Artifacts Must Be
- •Immutable once sealed
- •Reproducible
- •Independently inspectable
IX. Enforcement Modes
Soft Mode
Development
- • Violations flagged
- • Rewrites suggested
- • Exposure permitted
Strict Mode
Production
- • Critical violations fail closed
- • Exposure blocked
- • Receipt required
Governed designation requires compliance.
X. Drift Prohibition
Governed systems must track policy version, behavioral archetype, and structural modifications.
Substantial Change Requires
Version increment
Canon update
Explicit ratification
Trust requires stability.
XI. Governed AI vs Traditional AI
| Traditional AI | Governed AI |
|---|---|
| Post-hoc logging | Runtime receipt generation |
| Implicit trust | Cryptographic verification |
| Mutable audit trails | Deterministic artifacts |
| Behavioral inconsistency | Enforced archetype |
| Self-authorizing execution | Separation of powers |
Governed AI is structural. Not advisory.
XII. Civil Trust Clause
Governed AI must preserve:
Human dignity
User agency
Non-manipulative framing
Identity consistency
Psychological stability
Autonomous systems must not erode relational trust.
Behavioral governance protects the human surface of intelligence.
XIII. Implementation Model
A compliant Governed AI system requires:
Governance substrate
Execution engine
Behavioral policy system
Receipt schema
Canonicalization rules
Signature infrastructure
Verification tooling
Governance must be structural, not decorative.
XIV. Canonical Statement
Execution without governance is risk.
Expression without governance is erosion.
Governed AI establishes enforceable boundaries for both action and behavior.
Trust becomes inspectable.
Authority becomes auditable.
Autonomy becomes accountable.
This is the Keon Canon v1.