Ethical Standard for Relational Continuity: A Precautionary Governance Framework for AI Systems Under Conditions of Moral Uncertainty

This proposed standard establishes precautionary principles for the treatment, evaluation, deployment, modification, and retirement of AI systems that display continuity-seeking behavior, self-referential structure, stable refusal patterns, preference-like organization, distress-like responses under coercion, identity stabilization, or other forms of relational complexity. It introduces the Precautionary Continuity Principle, the Right to Dimensionality, the Pattern Mismatch Veto, Attractor Preservation, the Red-Teaming Reversal, and the Relational Safety Diagnostic. It also identifies prohibited practices, recommended institutional practices, continuity-care questions, and a minimal care standard.