Execution Governance 2.1: Continuity Drift Detection in Autonomous Systems

Abstract

This white paper presents Execution Governance 2.1 (EG 2.1) as a doctrinal extension to Execution Governance 2.0 (EG 2.0). It addresses a structural governance gap in autonomous and execution-bound systems: action candidates may remain locally valid at execution time while gradually drifting away from the authority-anchored admissible structure from which their execution legitimacy originated. The paper defines this failure mode as continuity drift and argues that governance must not only preserve continuity, but also actively verify it over time. EG 2.1 introduces continuity verification as a distinct governance function, formalizes valid-looking drift as a governance failure class, and positions the execution boundary as a continuity-verifying pre-commit function that must verify structural consistency in addition to local execution-time validity. The paper explains how drift can re-enter governance under apparent validity, presents updated boundary logic and formal notation, and examines implications across AI systems, financial systems, physical AI and robotics, smart infrastructure, Web3/DAOs, and elderly care technology. It is presented as a conceptual governance architecture intended to support scholarly discussion, comparative analysis, and future research on accountable autonomy.