AI dictionary

Action-Time Authorization

Checking whether a proposed agent action is authorized at the exact moment before the tool call, API request, or side effect executes.

Plain English

The system asks, is this specific action allowed right now, with these arguments and this source of authority?

Example

Before a deployment agent runs `terraform destroy`, a runtime guard verifies task scope, target environment, approval state, and policy.

Why it matters

Prompt-only safety is too weak for agents that act; runtime authorization creates an enforceable boundary before external systems change.