Principle Priority Policy

Data artifactGovernance & ComplianceSafety, Security & Governancearc:PrinciplePriorityPolicy

A declarative value hierarchy ranking constitutional principles and user intent for conflict scenarios, e.g., privacy versus security, safety versus autonomy, fundamental principles over user instructions.

Responsibility. Resolves which principle prevails when principles conflict.

Also known as: Principle ranking, Value hierarchy, Value prioritization

Direct neighbourhood (hover for relationship types)

Relationships

configures structural

receives data from dynamic

Design guidance

MUST let fundamental ethical principles override user intent while fulfilling user intent within those boundaries.
SHOULD be set by human judgment from multi-stakeholder deliberation, since no technical analysis resolves value trade-offs.
SHOULD place non-negotiable safety first, then optimize efficiency and fairness within safety constraints (autonomous-vehicle example).
MUST make trade-offs explicit rather than claim they are eliminated.

Classification

Patterns: Value alignment over intent alignmentPrinciple rankingExplicit trade-off management
Quality attributes: Reliability (ISO/IEC 25010 | NIST AI RMF: valid and reliable)Transparency and accountability (NIST AI RMF: accountable and transparent)
Risks mitigated: Inconsistent resolution of value conflictsJailbreak by instructing the system to ignore principlesParalysis from conflicting constraintsOptimizing unintended value combinations
Frameworks & regulations: EU AI Act (high-risk requirements)

Sources

Ch9.5: T. Nguyen, "Constitutional AI," in Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam, 1st ed. 2026, ch. 9.5. ISBN: 9798244538229.
Ch9.6: T. Nguyen, "Value Alignment Frameworks," in Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam, 1st ed. 2026, ch. 9.6. ISBN: 9798244538229.