The foundational values that guide the Tractatus Framework's development, governance, and community.
These four values form the foundation of the Tractatus Framework. They are not aspirational—they are architectural. The framework is designed to enforce these values through structure, not training.
Principle: Individuals and communities must maintain control over decisions affecting their data, privacy, values, and agency. AI systems must preserve human sovereignty, not erode it.
Principle: All AI decisions must be explainable, auditable, and reversible. No black boxes. Users deserve to understand how and why systems make choices.
Principle: AI systems must not cause harm through action or inaction. This includes preventing drift, detecting degradation, and enforcing boundaries against values erosion.
Principle: AI safety is a collective endeavor, not a corporate product. Communities must have tools, knowledge, and agency to shape AI systems affecting their lives.
Context: The Tractatus Framework is developed in Aotearoa New Zealand. We acknowledge Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi, 1840) as the founding document of this nation, and recognize the ongoing significance of tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship) in the digital realm.
This acknowledgment is not performative. Digital sovereignty—the principle that communities control their own data and technology—has deep roots in indigenous frameworks that predate Western tech by centuries.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi establishes principles of partnership, protection, and participation. These principles directly inform the Tractatus Framework's approach to digital sovereignty:
We do not claim to speak for Māori or indigenous communities. Instead, we:
Indigenous data sovereignty is the principle that indigenous peoples have the right to control the collection, ownership, and application of their own data. This goes beyond privacy—it's about self-determination in the digital age.
The Tractatus Framework aligns with the CARE Principles, developed by indigenous data governance experts:
Data ecosystems shall be designed and function in ways that enable Indigenous Peoples to derive benefit from the data.
Indigenous Peoples' rights and interests in Indigenous data must be recognized and their authority to control such data be empowered.
Those working with Indigenous data have a responsibility to share how data are used to support Indigenous Peoples' self-determination and collective benefit.
Indigenous Peoples' rights and wellbeing should be the primary concern at all stages of the data life cycle and across the data ecosystem.
Leading network advancing Māori data sovereignty in Aotearoa.
International framework for indigenous data rights.
Global collaboration on indigenous data sovereignty.
Values without enforcement are aspirations. The Tractatus Framework implements these values through architectural governance:
Quarterly reviews of framework alignment with stated values. Any drift from sovereignty, transparency, harmlessness, or community principles triggers mandatory correction.
All major decisions (architectural changes, partnerships, licensing) must pass values alignment check. If a decision would compromise any core value, it is rejected.
AI-generated content (documentation, code examples, case studies) requires human approval before publication. No AI makes values decisions without human judgment.
Open source development means community oversight. If we fail to uphold these values, the community can fork, modify, or create alternatives. This is by design.
These values are not negotiable. They form the architectural foundation of the Tractatus Framework. We commit to:
When in doubt, we choose human agency over AI capability. Always.