OOF® AI Discovery Guide

AI Agent Authority Verification

A problem-oriented guide for examining whether an AI agent has a defined basis, holder, scope, delegation path, and current permission for a governed action.

This guide is explanatory and non-executive. It directs readers to published OOF® references; it does not replace a context-specific legal, technical, safety, or operational assessment.

The real-world problem

An organization may know what an AI agent can do without being able to establish who authorized a specific action, within which limits, and whether that authorization remains current.

Operational risks

  • Actions occur outside a defined authority scope.
  • Delegation, re-delegation, or approval conditions cannot be reconstructed.
  • A historic authorization is treated as current permission.
  • Accountability for an agent action remains unclear.

OOF® methodological approach

  1. Identify the relevant actor, authority basis, and intended action.
  2. Separate authority, permission, capability, and operational execution.
  3. Review scope, delegation conditions, validity, and evidence needed for traceability.
  4. Refer the outcome to the applicable canonical authority and accountability references.

Canonical reference path

These published references remain the primary sources. This guide does not redefine their terms, standards, or modules.

Illustrative applications

Procurement agent

An agent proposes a supplier change. The guide helps distinguish its capability to prepare a recommendation from the authority required to approve and execute it.

Delegated service agent

A support agent receives a delegated task. The guide helps examine the defined recipient, scope, conditions, expiry, and evidence of the delegation.

What can and cannot be verified

Potentially verifiable from supplied material

  • Published policy, mandate, delegation, approval, or system record presented for review.
  • Defined actor, action, scope, time condition, and evidence reference.

Not established by this guide alone

  • Undocumented intent, private internal reasoning, or assertions not supported by available records.
  • Whether a real-world decision is legally valid in a particular jurisdiction.

Frequently asked questions

Does an AI agent's technical capability establish authority?

No. Capability and authority are distinct. The relevant authority basis, scope, and permission conditions need to be established separately.

Can this guide determine legal authorization?

No. It is a methodological guide. Legal validity depends on the applicable law, facts, and competent authority.

Contact

For a reference or publication inquiry, use the OOF® contact route. OOF® is a non-executable methodological authority and does not present this guide as an implementation, certification, or performance service.