aaf-epistemic-gates

Epistemic gates are validation boundaries that manage the transition of probabilistic AI output to authoritative action. You need them when AI-generated output must be trusted for action, requiring validation steps that scale with the risk of the operation.

To scale AI validation based on risk, implement lighter validation for low-stakes scenarios and robust deterministic checks for high-stakes operations. This risk-based scaling ensures epistemic gates match the severity of potential consequences in your AI system.

Design validation steps by structuring the process into Generation, Validation, and Authority phases. Place deterministic validation gates to check AI candidate output against rules before action, escalating high-risk decisions for human approval to ensure safety.

Yes, epistemic gates work for financial trading bots by validating AI-generated trade parameters against market data and compliance rules before execution. The gates escalate for human approval when risk is high, ensuring authoritative action is controlled.

Generation produces probabilistic AI candidate output, Validation applies deterministic checks to that output, and Authority transitions validated output into actionable execution. This phased approach emphasizes separation and control to manage AI trust boundaries.

Risk-based scaling for AI validation may not suit operations where validation overhead outweighs the benefit, such as low-volume, deterministic tasks. If operations carry no authoritative action or consequential risk, the phased gate approach adds unnecessary complexity.