Guides
Earned autonomy
Autonomy is granted per action category after proven accuracy — reversible work can auto-run with receipts; one-way doors stay held.
Earned autonomy means agents do not start with blanket freedom. Each action category begins supervised. Reversible categories can graduate to auto-apply with a receipt when accuracy holds. One-way doors can stay approval-only permanently.
Short definition: glossary.
The dial, not the switch
A password reset and an outbound payment should not share the same confirm dialog. HiveBase classifies by reversibility and blast radius, not a single company-wide autopilot.
| Class | Examples | Default posture |
|---|---|---|
| Read / observe | Search Brain, summarize, prep briefs | Automatic |
| Reversible internal | Draft content, create a task, update internal notes | Often automatic; always receipted when it mutates |
| Reversible outbound | Post a reversible update, low-stakes writeback | Ask first → can earn auto |
| One-way / high blast | Bulk send, delete, security-sensitive, irreversible money moves | Always confirm |
How a category graduates
Start supervised
New workspaces and new categories ask before acting outside safe defaults.
Prove accuracy
You see plans, diffs, and outcomes. Correct decisions accumulate for that category — not as a vague “trust score” for the whole company.
Graduate with receipts
Reversible categories can auto-run. Every auto action still leaves an action receipt and undo when reverse is one coherent step.
Revoke if needed
If accuracy slips, hand the category back to “ask first.” Autonomy is configuration, not a product rewrite.
What it is not
- Not “fully autonomous company” cosplay
- Not one company-wide autopilot switch
- Not silent action without a record
- Not a reason to skip review on one-way doors
Operator checklist
- Keep one-way doors on always-confirm even after you trust other categories.
- Review receipts for auto-run categories the way you would a trusted teammate’s PR — spot-check, not ignore.
- Prefer graduating narrow categories (e.g. archive stale duplicates) over broad “do anything.”
- Use Stop on running work; holds never fire outbound while you decide.