Execution Control Layer: a reference architecture for AI agents (github.com)

The release of the Execution Control Layer (ECL) Reference Architecture v1.1.0 on January 3, 2025, marks a significant step for the AI/ML community, offering critical insights into the architectural framework surrounding AI agents. This document serves as a non-normative resource that clarifies the ECL's relationship within system architectures, explicitly detailing the control flow, auditing capabilities, and failure mode semantics without modifying existing specifications or introducing new requirements. Instead of providing implementation guidance, it focuses on supporting system architects, auditors, and engineers in understanding the architectural placement and behaviors of ECL-conformant systems. Key components of the release include diagrams and detailed explanations of the intent to action boundary, governance evaluation, and a mapping of architectural invariants to observable interface properties. By enhancing transparency in how AI systems operate and are governed, this reference architecture promotes better design practices and compliance assurance, facilitating the verification of control behavior in diverse applications. Although it does not provide practical implementation details or operational procedures, its role as an illustrative material reinforces the foundational understanding necessary for developing compliant AI systems.