Humans are in chargeAn open philosophical initiative
AI expands what we can do. Humans decide what it is for.
We give the work purpose, exercise responsibility, and remain accountable for the outcome.
The opportunity is extraordinary: more people able to build, discover, organize, and accomplish. What we make of that capability is a human choice.
Being in charge means setting purposes worth pursuing and bounds that deserve respect. We can delegate work and decisions while retaining the judgment to direct them. Human authority gives the work its mandate.
Responsibility means remaining able to understand what is happening and act while it matters. Accountability means answering for the outcome. Delegation does not release the principal from that obligation.
02 / What we owe
Three duties give human direction its substance, before, during, and after the work.
Know the bounds.
Our purposes meet other people’s lives, values, and consent. Our agents inherit the limits of our own authority.
Keep your eyes open.
Examine what the work could affect. Reduce acceptable risks, refuse unacceptable ones, and keep exercising judgment as events unfold.
Stand behind the outcome.
When something goes wrong, answer for it. Acknowledge harm, repair what can be repaired, and carry the consequences—even when care was taken.
03 / From principle to practice
Every agent has a principal.
Authority is human.
Every act traces to human intent.