Give AI the minimum permissions needed for the workflow, separate permission from autonomy, protect credentials, log actions and require approval at consequential external boundaries.
What this means in practice
Least Privilege
Map every data source and action the AI could use, then reduce privileges until only what the workflow needs remains.
Separate Identities
Run the AI under a dedicated service identity, not a staff member’s login, so its actions can be traced and its access revoked on its own.
Scoped Api Access
Connect through access scoped to specific read, draft or write actions, and keep credentials and secrets out of prompts and documents.
Approval Gates
Require a person to approve contractual, financial, safety-critical and authoritative-record actions before they happen.
Receipts And Logs
Log inputs, decisions and actions so you can reconstruct what the AI did, when and on whose authority.
Kill Switch And Recovery
Make sure access can be disabled quickly and that there is a tested path back to the manual process.
A practical construction test
- Define the business outcome.
- Measure how the workflow performs today.
- Identify what AI is being asked to interpret or decide.
- Define what remains under human authority.
- Test with real examples and acceptance criteria.
- Measure results before expanding scale or autonomy.
Where governance fits
The AI model can change. The company’s operating rules should not change silently with it. Catha’s Governance Cage is designed to preserve the business authority layer above the model and workflow.
Practical questions construction owners ask.
What is the difference between permission and autonomy?
Permission is what the AI can technically reach. Autonomy is what it may do without a person approving it. Keep them separate so broad access does not become broad authority.
Should the AI use an employee’s login?
No. Give it a separate, dedicated identity so its actions can be traced and its access can be revoked without affecting staff accounts.
Where should a person have to approve AI actions?
At consequential external boundaries: contractual, financial, safety-critical and authoritative-record actions.
Keep reading
Use AI where it creates value. Govern it everywhere it acts.
Catha helps construction companies identify, build and manage AI workflows while keeping business authority in human hands.