Preserving Decision Sovereignty in Military AI: A Trade-Secret-Safe Architectural Framework for Model Replaceability, Human Authority, and State Control

arXiv cs.AI / 4/25/2026

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Key Points

The paper highlights a structural risk in military AI procurement: when a privately governed model is embedded in operational workflows, the supplier may indirectly shape the decision boundaries and usage conditions.
It argues that the key strategic requirement is “decision sovereignty,” meaning the state must retain authority over decision policy, version control, fallback behavior, auditability, and final action approval.
Using examples including the 2026 Anthropic–Pentagon dispute and prior efforts like Project Maven, the authors frame the problem as supplier-induced boundary control rather than only access to capable models.
The proposed “trade-secret-safe” Energetic Paradigm offers a layered, model-agnostic architecture where vendor models are replaceable analysis components, while routing, constraints, logging, escalation, and action authorization remain state-owned.
Although the work is conceptual (not experimentally validated), it delivers actionable guidance for procurement, governance, and interoperability across allies without disclosing proprietary implementation details.

Abstract

Recent events surrounding the relationship between frontier AI suppliers and national-security customers have made a structural problem newly visible: once a privately governed model becomes embedded in military workflows, the supplier can influence not only technical performance but also the operational boundary conditions under which the system may be used. This paper argues that the central strategic issue is not merely access to capable models, but preservation of decision sovereignty: the state's ability to retain authority over decision policy, version control, fallback behavior, auditability, and final action approval even when analytical modules are sourced from commercial vendors. Using the public Anthropic--Pentagon dispute of 2026, the broader history of Project Maven, and recent U.S., NATO, U.K., and intelligence-community guidance as a motivating context, the paper develops a trade-secret-safe architectural formulation of the Energetic Paradigm as a layered, model-agnostic command-support design. In this formulation, supplier models remain replaceable analytical components, while routing, constraints, logging, escalation, and action authorization remain state-owned functions. The paper contributes three things: a definition of decision sovereignty for military AI; a threat model for supplier-induced boundary control; and a public architectural specification showing how model replaceability, human authority, and sovereign orchestration can reduce strategic dependency without requiring disclosure of proprietary implementation details. The argument is conceptual rather than experimental, but it yields concrete implications for procurement, governance, and alliance interoperability.