The Book
The Architecture of Decision
Twenty-four centuries of decision theory. Five years of frontier AI research. One architecture that both streams converge upon. This book is the complete framework for building AI systems that make high-stakes decisions.
By
Bradley W. Petersen
The Spine
Seven Components of a Complete Decision Architecture
The decision is an architecture of seven parts through which it moves, and the model is one of the seven.
Frame
Guards against answering the wrong question. Ensures the system knows what it is being asked before it attempts an answer.
Generator
The model producing candidates. This is what most people think of as 'the AI', but it is one part of seven.
Evaluation
Guards against the generator grading its own exam. Independent scoring by criteria separate from generation.
Gate
Guards against a system that can only pass or discard. Three routes: accept, return for refinement, or escalate to human.
Refinement Loop
Iterates until quality threshold. Failed outputs return for another attempt with specific feedback.
Human Judgment
The irreducible call at the edges. Some decisions cannot be delegated to automation.
Record
Captures everything, read later for drift. Built to be read by someone not present at the decision.
Key Arguments
The Weakest Link
A chain breaks at its weakest link. So does a decision architecture. Strong components cannot compensate for broken ones.
The Four Edges
The system must recognize when a case has reached the edge of the decision architecture competence: the edge of the standard, the edge of the measurable, and the edge of the frame. At these edges, human judgment is required.
Convergence
Classical decision theory and frontier AI research arrive at the same requirements. The architecture was not invented. It was recovered from what has always been true about good decisions.
Who This Is For
“The AI generator model is one of seven components. It is not the system. Building a decision system around an AI generator model is like building a hospital around a diagnostic machine.”From The Architecture of Decision
See it in practice
The book describes the architecture.
OrbisFramework implements it.
Schedule a strategic session to discuss how the seven components apply to your workflows.