Vertical AI Governance Stack v1.0: A Layered Reference Architecture for High-Assurance Agentic Systems

This technical note presents the Vertical AI Governance Stack v1.0, a layered reference architecture for designing and evaluating governance controls in high-assurance agentic systems.

The specification organizes governance into six layers (L1–L6) and establishes a framework for capability verification, explicit operational boundaries, architectural invariants, proof obligations, and auditable execution. It distinguishes governance mechanisms that can be implemented within an agentic system from controls that must be enforced by its surrounding infrastructure.

The proposed architecture provides a common technical foundation for assessing governance implementations, identifying control gaps, and designing systems in which agent capabilities and execution decisions can be constrained and verified.

This document is a reference architecture and technical specification. It does not constitute an independently certified standard or establish empirical guarantees of system safety or regulatory compliance.