Claim
AI systems exceed declared authority because governance intent is embedded in prompts instead of machine-checkable governance contracts.
Evidence
- This essay supports citation and search for: Authority Leakage: The Hidden Failure Mode of Enterprise AI
- Reader takeaway: When governance intent lives in prompts, agents exceed the authority organizations believe they granted.
- Summary: Defines authority leakage: AI systems acting outside declared authority because governance lives in prompts rather than enforceable governance contracts. Foothill essay for citation and search.
- Why now: Category terms need retrieval surfaces beyond the canonical position paper.
- Foothill essay supporting the Governance Compilation category: Authority Leakage: The Hidden Failure Mode of Enterprise AI
- Thesis: Defines authority leakage: AI systems acting outside declared authority because governance lives in prompts rather than enforceable governance contracts. Foothill essay for citation and search.
- Implementation mechanisms remain open research.
Counterarguments & boundaries
- Do not treat this essay as exhaustive analysis or product roadmap.
- Read the position paper for full evidence and research questions.
References
- Full essay (BH-RL-2026-0011)
- Canonical position paper (BH-RL-2026-0009)
- Topic: authority leakage
- Topic: enterprise AI governance
- Topic: governance contract
- Topic: Governance Compilation