A Constitutional Architecture for Artificial Intelligence - Transitioning from Behavioral Alignment to Power Governance

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transitioning from a technical tool to a foundational infrastructural layer of societal power. As AI capabilities outpace the regulatory capacity of human institutions, the concentration of power within private entities and autonomous systems poses an existential challenge to democratic governance. While current frameworks prioritize behavioral alignment and sectoral compliance, they often overlook the fundamental problem of how AI power is organized and constrained at its source. This paper proposes CAIA (Constitutional Architecture for Artificial Intelligence), a framework that redefines AI governance as a problem of constitutional power rather than mere conduct. By introducing a multi-layered architecture—comprising structural constraints on capability growth, infrastructure-level limitations, and independent constitutional oversight—CAIA provides a political–technical blueprint to prevent the irreversible concentration of AI power. This shift from shaping behavior to limiting authority offers a necessary path toward preserving human agency in an increasingly automated civilization. Note: For a detailed discussion on the philosophical foundations regarding human fragility and the ontological necessity of these limits, please refer to the author's previous work: "The Age of Fragile Intelligence — Human Survival, Power, and AI Limits" archived on PhilPapers (Dec-2025).