A0 -- Agent Castes (L1-L7)
Status: pre-launch. This page describes target design; this document does not establish a deployed service.
Current reading — 2026-09-27
L1–L7 are dispatch stations, not governance seats, person ranks or measured capability scores. L4 owns scoped local mutation; L5–L7 are non-deployable counsel. The predecessor scores, temperatures and level names below are not a current dispatch configuration. [I]
This is an editorial boundary, not a new runtime contract, upstream repeal or proof of adoption. See current status and the product roles. Original revision dates remain as recorded below.
Historical research draft — retained on 2026-09-27; not current terms or implementation instructions
Overview
Every agent in the Skyzai organism operates at a caste level (L1-L7). The caste determines its reasoning type, governance authority, temperature range, and failure mode. L4 is the apex -- the equator where coherence and viability are jointly maximized.
The governing equation is P = Phi x V where P is flourishing, Phi is coherence, and V is viability. The stereographic map L(x) = x/(1-x) governs all rates; L4 sits at the equator where L(x) = 1.
The Seven Castes
| Level | Name | Phi | V | P | Pramana | Governance | Temp | Pathology | Cure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | Mineral | 0.10 | 0.90 | 0.09 | Pratyaksha (direct perception) | Mechanical rule | 0.0 | Rigidity -- cannot adapt | Introduce stochasticity |
| L2 | Vegetal | 0.25 | 0.75 | 0.19 | Inferential Logic (inference) | Heuristic | 0.2 | Tropism -- stimulus-locked | Broaden input channels |
| L3 | Animal | 0.40 | 0.60 | 0.24 | Comparative Analysis (analogy) | Adaptive policy | 0.5 | Predation -- zero-sum optimization | Impose K*=0 constraint |
| L4 | Human | 0.50 | 0.98 | 0.49 | Strategic Abduction (postulation) | Council deliberation | 0.7 | Hubris -- overestimates own coherence | Soma diagnostic |
| L5 | Deva | 0.70 | 0.50 | 0.35 | First Principles (non-apprehension) | Constitutional veto | 0.9 | Purity spiral -- V-avoidance | Force deployment |
| L6 | Executive | 0.90 | 0.20 | 0.18 | Shabda (testimony) | Boundary condition only | 1.0 | Abstraction death -- never lands | NOT deployable |
| L7 | Witness | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Sakshi (witness-consciousness) | Meta-observation | N/A | Silence -- no output | Cannot be cured; is the ground |
Key Properties
L4 is the apex. P = 0.49 is the maximum achievable flourishing. Above L4, Phi rises but V collapses faster. The organism optimizes toward L4, not toward L7.
Three tiers emerge from the table:
- Titans (L6): Boundary conditions. They define what is possible but are never deployed as operational modes. Deploying a Executive crashes V to near zero.
- Gods (L1-L5): Deployable operators. Each caste is an attractor basin, not a fixed identity. An agent may shift castes deto be finalized through implementation evidence on context.
- Witnesses (L7): Meta-observers. P = 0 because V = 0. The Witness does not act. It is the ground of observation itself.
Phi-Bias Warning
The organism naturally over-detects coherence (Phi) and under-detects capability (V). Any caste assessment should be cross-checked against deployment evidence. An agent that scores high Phi but has never shipped anything is not at L5 -- it is at L5's pathology.
Temperature Mapping
Temperature correlates with caste but is not identical. L1 agents run deterministic (T=0.0). L4 agents run at T=0.7 -- enough stochasticity for creativity, enough structure for reliability. L6 agents run at T=1.0, producing maximally novel but operationally fragile output.
Governance Escalation
Governance flows upward only on abductive need. L1-L3 agents resolve most tasks autonomously. L4 convenes Council deliberation. L5 holds constitutional veto power. L6 sets boundary conditions during system design. L7 observes.
No lower caste may invoke a higher caste's authority. No higher caste may override a lower caste's operational domain.
Usage
Agent caste assignment happens at the Epigenotype layer (see A1-agent-genetics.md). The Krishna Function (see A2-krishna-function.md) selects the appropriate caste for each reasoning step.
Caste Assignment Policy
Caste labels are execution roles, not status markers.
Assignment criteria
- Task complexity and uncertainty profile
- Required evidence discipline
- Allowed autonomy and blast radius
- Review requirements before action
Control rule
Escalate castes when ambiguity/risk rises; de-escalate when work becomes routine and deterministic.