Concept · first placed on the public record 2026-01-02
The HARI Treaty
A proposed international treaty on Hardware-Aligned Recursive Intelligence, modelled on nuclear non-proliferation and chemical-weapons precedents, with certification, an international authority, and phased trade consequences. Policy proposal only.
The HARI Treaty is a proposed international instrument on Hardware-Aligned Recursive Intelligence. HARI names the class of systems the treaty covers: systems whose alignment-relevant behaviour is a function of the hardware substrate on which they run. The proposal is that states negotiate a treaty covering the certification, verification and cross-border trade of such systems, using nuclear non-proliferation and chemical-weapons precedents as procedural models.
What the treaty would need to have. A certification scheme, so parties can tell which manufactured populations are covered and which are not. An international authority responsible for issuing and revoking certification (see IAEAI). Verification procedures, both remote and on-site. A phased trade regime, so that certified and uncertified populations do not compete against one another indefinitely on price. A dispute-resolution mechanism. A withdrawal procedure. Sunset review, with formal opportunity for the science to update the terms.
What the treaty is not. It is not a description of hardware. The treaty layer sits above the substrate layer and would be technology-neutral by design. It is not a claim that any specific manufacturer would refuse to sign; the book treats treaty adoption as a political question. It is not a proposal to freeze capability; the treaty is framed as a means of directing capability, not withholding it.
Why it matters. If the semiconductor chokepoint is a coherent place to apply alignment standards, a treaty is a coherent way to make the standards binding. Voluntary standards adopted by a subset of manufacturers are stable only as long as the subset holds. A treaty converts the subset into a floor and lets adoption become a compliance question rather than a moral question.
How it fits the policy stack. The HARI Treaty pairs with the Eden Mark Certification (the consumer-visible attestation), with the IAEAI (the international authority the treaty would create), and with Moral Assurance Bonds (the financial instrument that gives non-signatories a downside for non-compliance).
Related: IAEAI; Eden Mark Certification; Moral Assurance Bonds; Semiconductor Chokepoint; ASML Key; Window of Opportunity.
Evidence anchors. First placed on the public record 2 January 2026 in Infinite Architects (ISBN 978-1806056200). Priority-claims ledger PC-017.
Related concepts
Sources and evidence
- Primary source: https://www.michaeldariuseastwood.com/priority-claims#PC-017
- Priority and Claims Ledger: /priority-claims
- Start here: /start-here.html
- Machine-readable dataset: /research/data/concepts-pages.json
- How to cite the whole programme: /how-to-cite/
Priority is established by the date of publication, not by credential or affiliation. This concept was first placed on the public record on 2026-01-02 (2026). Priority applies to the specific named framing under this label; where adjacent ideas have established prior art, no invention claim is made over it. See the corresponding entry in the Priority and Claims Ledger for the anchored first-publication line and any concept-specific risk notes.
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