Project Orion

Ethical Governance & Oversight Framework

This framework establishes non-negotiable governance, oversight, and deployment controls for Orion systems: a compliance-first, human-in-command operating model with hard execution gates. The intent is simple: scale capability without scaling harm.

Creed Human-in-Command • Hard Stops • Audit-Ready • Non-Warfare Responsible AI 101

1) Non-Warfare Clause

Orion technologies, innovations, and systems are built exclusively for peace, resilience, learning, safety, and the betterment of humanity.

Absolute Prohibition: Orion systems may not be used to design, enable, or optimize harm--directly or indirectly-- including warfare, weapons development, targeting, destructive sabotage, or coercive manipulation.

Enforcement

  • Immediate termination of access, licensing, and support upon violation.
  • Revocation of credentials and keys across the execution layer.
  • Preservation of evidence and escalation consistent with applicable laws and agreements.

2) Ethical Oversight Panel (EOP)

An Ethical Oversight Panel is established to ensure compliance with the Non-Warfare Clause and maintain continuous governance over Orion deployments.

Responsibilities

  • Monitor usage patterns and ensure compliance with permitted use.
  • Conduct periodic partner audits for ethical adherence.
  • Enforce penalties for violations, including license revocation.
  • Maintain a documented risk register and continuous improvement loop.

3) Transparency & Certification

Orion deployments require end-user certification that systems are used ethically, with clear scope boundaries and transparent reporting where feasible.

Minimum Requirements

  • Signed acceptable-use attestation and permitted-use scope.
  • Chain-of-custody for keys, models, and configuration artifacts.
  • Operator identity and change control for high-impact actions.
  • Incident reporting path that does not punish reporting.

4) Deployment Controls & Safeguards

Orion is governed like critical infrastructure: safety is enforced before execution, not audited after damage. This is the core of the Compliance Appliance model.

Technical Safeguards

  • Pre-execution gates that determine whether automation is allowed to act at all.
  • Tamper resistance for sensitive controls, keys, and policy rules.
  • Anti-re-engineering measures to reduce repurposing for destructive outcomes.
  • Least-privilege execution and separation of duties (operator vs. approver).
  • Offline / air-gapped compatibility for sovereign deployments.

Human Factors Safeguards

  • Fatigue-aware workflow: rate limits, cool-downs, and "stop-and-verify" checkpoints.
  • Escalation checks: when intensity increases, the system slows down automatically.
  • Non-negotiable pauses for high-stakes domains (medical, legal, financial, public safety).

5) Open Letter to World Leaders

To the Leaders of the World: We can no longer treat intelligence systems like novelty software. When capability scales faster than governance, the result is predictable: instability, misuse, and public harm.

Orion exists to prove a different path: systems that scale execution while remaining accountable to human judgment, ethics, and lawful stewardship. The future is not "more automation." The future is controlled automation.

Sincerely, Kevin Erwin Chief Architect, Project Orion Human-in-Command • Compliance-First • Non-Warfare
0