NS-L6 Standard: Human–LLM Responsibility Framework

1. Purpose and Scope (Normative)

The NS-L6 Standard defines a unified, formal, layer-based responsibility model for human–LLM interaction systems. This specification establishes a normative reference for responsibility assignment, system boundaries, and governance processes across layered socio-technical architectures.

This document is the sole authoritative specification of the NS-L6 Responsibility Model.

2. Terminology (Normative)

• LLM — Large Language Model without internal persistent state or agency.
• Actor — A human or institutional decision-maker interacting with a system.
• Layer (L0–L6) — A structural component of the responsibility model.
• State — The complete configuration of all relevant variables at a given time.
• Time Index — The ordered sequence of transitions at any layer.
• Responsibility — A property emerging only when observability + controllability both hold.
• Axiom — A formally defined, non-negotiable statement within the theory.
• Normative Imperative — A mandatory requirement for compliant systems.

3. Architectural Overview (Normative)

NS-L6 defines seven invariant system layers:

• L0 – Physical Layer
• L1 – Computation Layer
• L2 – Model Execution Layer
• L3 – Output Layer
• L4 – System Integration Layer
• L5 – Interaction Layer
• L6 – Normative Responsibility Layer

Each layer has its own state space, time index, rules, and non-invertible boundaries.

4. State Taxonomy (Normative)

1. Physical State (L0)
2. Computational State (L1)
3. Model State (L2)
4. Output State (L3)
5. System State (L4)
6. Interaction State (L5)
7. Normative State (L6)

State transitions cannot be meaningfully projected upward or downward.

5. Time Taxonomy (Normative)

• L0 Time — physical propagation
• L1 Time — computation cycles
• L2 Time — token transitions
• L3 Time — output emission
• L4 Time — orchestration
• L5 Time — interaction cycles
• L6 Time — decision/audit time

No universal time exists. All time is layer-local.

6. Layered Responsibility Model (Normative)

Invariant R1 — Observability

Actor cannot be responsible for any layer they cannot observe.

Invariant R2 — Controllability

Actor cannot be responsible for transitions they cannot control.

Joint Necessity Principle: Responsibility exists only when BOTH conditions hold.

• L0–L3 → No human responsibility
• L4 → Engineering responsibility
• L5 → Operational responsibility
• L6 → Normative / legal responsibility

7. Axiom Set — Responsibility Boundary

• A1 — No Downward Inference
• A2 — No Hidden Responsibility
• A3 — Tool-Responsibility Separation
• A4 — Frozen Model Constraint
• A5 — Non-Agency of LLMs
• A6 — Boundary Completeness

8. Normative Imperatives

1. Context Integrity
2. Decision Traceability
3. Input Provenance
4. Configuration Accountability
5. Tool Boundary Integrity
6. Disclosure of System Capabilities
7. Human Oversight
8. Causality Preservation
9. No Responsibility Projection
10. Layer-Consistent Logging
11. Normative Auditability
12. Hazard Mitigation
13. Non-Delegability of L6 Responsibility
14. Normative Transparency

9. Formal Responsibility Mapping

R : (Actor, Layer, State, Time) → ResponsibilitySet

• R = ∅ for L0–L3
• R = Limited for L4
• R = Full for L5
• R = Normative for L6

10. Compliance Requirements

• No responsibility violates invariants
• All 14 imperatives enforced
• Boundaries preserved
• Audit traces include L4–L6 visibility
• No downward inference

11. Non-Normative Notes

• NS-L6 does not assert LLM agency
• NS-L6 does not mandate architecture
• NS-L6 structures legal application, not replaces it

12. Versioning Rules

Major.Minor.Patch

v1.1 adds semantics, invariants, imperatives, compliance rules.

13. References

(to be added after appendices are finalized)

14. Appendix References

Appendix A — Formal Proofs
Appendix B — Formal Semantics
Appendix C — Threat Model