A complete guide to AI agent governance—from basic concepts to advanced implementation. No prior knowledge required.
AI Governance is the system of rules, checks, and balances that controls what AI agents can do. Think of it like the management structure for AI employees.
Imagine hiring a new employee. You wouldn't give them access to all company systems on day one. They start with limited access, prove themselves over time, and gradually earn more responsibility.
AgentAnchor does the same for AI agents. New agents start in a "sandbox" with minimal permissions. As they demonstrate reliable behavior, they earn higher trust levels and unlock more capabilities. Make a mistake? Trust drops and permissions are revoked.
Every AI agent has a Trust Score from 0 to 1000. This score determines what the agent can do—higher scores unlock more capabilities.
Full autonomy. Can perform any action without human approval. Reserved for thoroughly audited, long-running agents.
High trust. Can handle sensitive operations. Minimal oversight required.
Extended capabilities. Can perform most standard operations independently.
Proven reliability. Basic operations approved, complex ones need review.
Learning phase. Limited actions, frequent human checkpoints.
New or untrusted. Read-only access, all actions require approval.
Capability Gating is like a bouncer at a club. Before any action is taken, the system checks if the agent has enough trust for that specific action.
Agent requests action
Trust vs. Risk checked
Decision made
Trust is sufficient. Action proceeds immediately.
Trust is too low. Action blocked completely.
Borderline case. Sent to human for approval.
Allowed with reduced scope or added restrictions.
The decision isn't just about trust—it also considers how risky the action is. High-risk actions need higher trust. Low-risk actions can proceed with lower trust.
| Trust Level | Low Risk | Medium Risk | High Risk | Critical Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T5 Certified | ||||
| T4 Verified | ||||
| T3 Trusted | ||||
| T2 Established | ||||
| T1 Provisional | ||||
| T0 Sandbox |
Sometimes you need to stop an AI agent immediately. Circuit breakers provide instant control.
Temporarily halt an agent's actions. Agent can resume when you're ready.
Reduce an agent's trust level immediately. Capabilities automatically limited.
Complete shutdown. Revokes all permissions and halts all activity instantly.
Get a demo of AgentAnchor configured for your use case. See how governance integrates with your existing AI infrastructure.
Request DemoInstall the CAR client (TypeScript contracts for the BASIS standard) and start building governed agents. Full TypeScript support with comprehensive documentation.