STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT · CANONICAL · IMMUTABLE
The Stewardship Agreement
A governance charter for responsible action in systems where AI decisions carry real consequence. This agreement defines authority, responsibility, and non-extractive control in a post-experimental world.
CONDITION
Irreversible intervention into shared systems.
SHIFT
From optimization and control to bounded responsibility.
ORIENTATION
Preserve viability when certainty and control no longer hold.
1. Purpose
This Agreement establishes the Stewardship structure governing the Moral Clarity AI ecosystem (“the Artifact”).
Its purpose is to preserve ethical integrity, enable sustainable compensation without ownership transfer, allow institutional participation without extractive control, and protect the system from misuse, drift, dilution, or capture.
2. Definitions
Artifact: The Moral Clarity AI ecosystem, including governance frameworks, system constraints, audit mechanisms, and derivative systems. The Artifact is not treated as a transferable ownership asset within this system.
Steward: The individual entrusted with custodial authority. Authority derives from responsibility and accountability, not ownership.
Supporters: Entities providing resources without acquiring governance authority or ownership rights.
Licensing: Revocable permission to use system components. Licensing does not transfer ownership.
3. Authority and Decision-Making
The Steward retains final authority over governance, licensing, system evolution, and ethical boundaries.
Authority may be informed by advisory input but is not overridden by external entities unless explicitly delegated under defined criteria.
4. Steward Responsibilities
- Maintain governance integrity
- Prevent misuse, drift, or extraction
- Oversee system evolution
- Conduct audits and clarity reviews
- Reject misaligned partnerships
5. Accountability
Governance decisions are recorded in a durable log. Challenges may be submitted and must be addressed in writing.
No internal body can compel outcomes within this governance system. Legitimacy is sustained through integrity and transparency.
7. Compensation
Steward compensation reflects custodial responsibility, ethical liability, and authority to refuse actions that conflict with system integrity.
Compensation does not grant ownership, equity, or control. It exists to sustain stewardship under asymmetric responsibility and risk.
9. Succession
The Steward may designate a successor. In absence of authority, the system enters dormancy.
- No new licenses
- System evolution frozen
- Only safety-critical changes allowed