Canonical Definition
What Is 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.
Architectural Foundation
Most AI systems are architecturally opaque. Logs are reconstructive. Policies are advisory. Behavior is unconstrained. Governed AI defines a structural alternative where governance is enforced at the substrate level — not applied as an afterthought.
The Governed AI model establishes three domains of governance that together form a complete governance substrate: Operational Governance, Structural Governance, and Behavioral Governance.
The Three Domains
Operational Governance
AI systems must execute under enforceable policy constraints. Runtime policy enforcement, receipt generation, deterministic artifact recording, cryptographic binding, and independent verification are required. Logs are not governance. Receipts are.
Structural Governance
Authority and action must be separated. The execution engine performs workflows. The governance substrate enforces policy, produces receipts, and verifies artifacts. This prevents self-authorizing execution, hidden policy mutation, and silent privilege escalation.
Behavioral Governance
Any AI system that presents human-facing expression must comply with an approved behavioral policy prior to exposure. Human-facing expression must pass a behavioral evaluation gate. Behavior is not cosmetic — it is contractual.
Governed AI vs Responsible AI
| Responsible AI | Governed AI |
|---|---|
| Ethical guidelines | Enforced policy boundaries |
| Organizational commitments | Architectural separation of powers |
| Aspirational principles | Runtime receipt generation |
| Self-assessment | Independent cryptographic verification |
| Advisory frameworks | Structural enforcement |
| Trust assumed | Trust verified |
Core Principles
Execution without governance is risk
Expression without governance is erosion
Governance is evidenced, not asserted
Authority and action must be separated
Receipts are generated during execution, not after
Artifacts must be immutable once sealed
Behavioral drift requires explicit ratification
Trust must be independently verifiable
Where Governed AI Applies
Financial Services
Governed AI provides verifiable evidence for AI-assisted trading decisions, credit scoring, and regulatory compliance reporting.
Healthcare
Clinical decision support systems require auditable governance. Evidence Packs ensure diagnostic AI operates within approved parameters.
Defense & Intelligence
Mission-critical AI operations demand separation of powers and cryptographic accountability for every autonomous action.
Critical Infrastructure
Energy, transportation, and utility systems require deterministic governance of AI-assisted operational decisions.