The Self-Alignment Framework Podcasts

How do we align intelligence—in ourselves, our organizations, and our AI? This episode introduces the Self-Alignment Framework (SAF), a powerful system for ethical decision-making. Explore its five core components: Values, Intellect, Will, Conscience, and Spirit. We trace its philosophical roots from Plato to its modern application as a practical, verifiable path to sustained integrity. This is your foundation for understanding true alignment.

In this episode, we introduce SAFi, the technical implementation of the Self-Alignment Framework for AI systems. SAFi is an architecture designed for verifiable runtime governance of language models, built on the same closed-loop structure used to describe human reasoning: Values, Intellect, Will, Conscience, and Spirit. 

 In this episode, we move from philosophical theory to practical application within the SAFi architecture. We take a deep dive into the 'Values' faculty and introduce the concept of the 'Ethical Profile.' Learn the essentials on how SAFi ethical principles are defined, configured, and implemented in a real world scenario using a hypothetical persona.

What truly distinguishes Intellect from Intelligence or Reason? Purpose. In this deep dive, we explore how the SAFi Intellect faculty is defined by its telos, a purpose provided by its core Values. Drawing on classical philosophy from Aristotle to Aquinas, we reveal why this distinction is vital for AI alignment and how this ancient concept functions as the discerning "Legislative Branch" in the SAFi code.

This episode explores the Will faculty in SAFi, the system's "Executive Branch." Discover how separating the power to choose from the power to reason prevents the catastrophic ethical failures of standard LLMs. Drawing on centuries of philosophy from St. Augustine to Kant, we examine the nature of choice and how it is implemented as the decisive power in the SAFi architecture to ensure verifiable rule adherence

After the Intellect proposes and the Will decides, what judges the outcome? We explore SAFi's "Judicial Branch": the Conscience. Discover its philosophical history and a key divergence from classical thought: placing it after the Will. Learn why this sequential, reactive audit is crucial for verifiable AI governance and how this differs from the proactive human conscience, making alignment an observable process.

In our final episode in this series, we close the loop with the Spirit: SAFi's most novel faculty. We explore how this loaded term is demystified in code, functioning as a mathematical model for long-term integrity. Inspired by Aristotle's Virtue Ethics, the Spirit tracks the AI's "character" over time, making alignment a measurable, sustained process and completing the Self-Alignment Framework.

How do we build AI we can actually trust and control? This episode pivots from the "how" of SAFi to the "why," introducing the four core problems it solves. We explore the Four principles of Verifiable AI: Value Sovereignty, Full Traceability, Model Independence, and Long-Term Consistency. Discover the architectural blueprint that turns organizations from passive AI users into active AI Governors.

How do you prove an AI is truly yours? We put Value Sovereignty to the test. In this episode, we move from theory to practice, running a series of "litmus tests" on SAFi personas like the Fiduciary, Health Navigator, and Jurist. Discover how a sovereign AI behaves differently from a generic model when faced with risky prompts, providing verifiable proof that your mission, not a vendor's is in control.

How can you verify your AI is truly aligned with your mission? This episode tackles the 'black box problem', the critical barrier to trust and compliance in high-stakes fields. We explore Full Traceability as the solution, showing how an auditable, transparent decision-making process is the only path to true accountability. Discover how this architectural approach provides verifiable proof, turning a risky, opaque tool into a trustworthy partner.