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Agent Alignment Strategies

Align AI agents with human values and organizational goals to ensure safe, ethical, and effective operations

Constitutional AI Methods

Constitutional AI defines explicit principles—like a "constitution"—that agents must follow. Unlike reward modeling (which learns from examples), constitutional methods provide clear rules: "Never share private data," "Always verify before deleting," etc. These principles act as guardrails, preventing harmful actions even in novel situations.

📜 Written Principles

Clear, explicit rules the agent must follow

🚫 Hard Constraints

Non-negotiable boundaries that cannot be crossed

✅ Self-Evaluation

Agent checks its own outputs against principles

Interactive: Constitutional AI Simulator

Define your constitution by activating principles, then test how the agent evaluates actions:

Your Constitution (toggle principles on/off)

Test Actions Against Your Constitution

Decision:BLOCKED
Relevant Principles: Protect Privacy
Explanation

Violates privacy principle—salary is sensitive information that requires proper authorization.

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Combining Approaches

Constitutional AI works best when combined with reward modeling. Use principles for hard boundaries (non-negotiable rules), and reward models for softer preferences (style, tone, approach). Principles provide safety guarantees; feedback provides nuanced guidance.

Writing Effective Principles

Specific & Actionable

"Never share user passwords" (not "be careful with data")

Clear Boundaries

"Require approval for orders over $1000" (concrete threshold)

Testable

You should be able to evaluate if a principle was followed or violated

← Previous: Reward Modeling