Definition
Scope growth by accretion, where each extension of an automated system is too small to trigger review and no single step is the one that widened the delegation. The ratchet turns one way only: successful operation is read as license to extend.
It matters because the end state bears no relation to what was originally justified and no single decision can be pointed at. The countermeasure is to make each widening an expansion decision, which is also what keeps authority drift from being invisible.
PatternsDiagnostic
Tests that show it is in place
- Scope changes are logged against the grant, however small, with a cumulative view available.
- A cumulative threshold exists that forces a full re-authorization regardless of step size.
- Reviewers are shown the original justification alongside current scope, not only the delta.
Evidence to keep
- Artifact: A cumulative scope history per grant, showing every widening since first authorization.
- Behavior: A small extension refused because it crossed a cumulative re-authorization threshold.
- Metric: Scope delta since original authorization, per grant.
References
- Laws for engineering delegated intelligence · Doctrine