# Trust and autonomy

> Five levels deciding how much runs without a person — with limits that no level can override.

Section: AI employees · Canonical: https://intubu.intuitivecapital-dai.com/docs/ai-trust

AI Employee → Trust & Autonomy.

| Level | Means |
|---|---|
| **0 Observe** | Suggests only. Nothing runs. |
| **1 Approve all** | Every task waits for a person. |
| **2 Approve risky** | Routine work runs; anything material waits. |
| **3 Autonomous with caps** | Runs within materiality limits. |
| **4 Full** | Runs everything its role allows. |

**Every capability declares the trust it needs.** Read-only analysis needs 0; categorising needs 1; ledger writes need 2; paying a bill or closing a period needs 3; running payroll or filing a return needs 4.

**Reopening a period outranks closing one** — undoing a sign-off is a bigger act than making one.

**Three things no trust level can override:**
- Anything **irreversible** always needs a person. See [Work that cannot be undone](https://intubu.intuitivecapital-dai.com/docs/ai-irreversible).
- A **material amount** needs the role your materiality rules name, whatever the level says.
- The **preparer is never the approver**, enforced by user id at the moment of approval. A role check does not catch someone approving their own work.

**An unknown capability defaults to needing approval** — fail closed, so something added later cannot quietly inherit autonomy.