[Rats] Re: [Use Case] RATS for Hardware-Enforced State Management in Autonomous Agents (AIGA)

[Edward Aylward <[e-mail]>]

Correction to draft url:
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-aylward-aiga-1/

          Respectfully,

*          Edward R. Aylward II*          [e-mail]
          702.684.4607 <7026844607>


On Tue, Jan 13, 2026 at 10:56 AM Edward Aylward <[e-mail]>
wrote:

> Hi RATS WG,
>
> I am writing to request feedback on a specific use case for Remote
> Attestation described in my recent individual submission: "Artificial
> Intelligence Governance Architecture (AIGA)" (draft-aylward-aiga-00).
>
> While the draft covers broader application-layer governance, Section 5.1
> specifically proposes a mechanism for "Hardware-Enforced Termination" of
> high-risk autonomous agents using TEEs. I believe this aligns with the RATS
> architecture, and I am seeking the group's insight on the feasibility of
> the attestation flow.
>
> The Problem:
> Current "kill switches" for autonomous agents are implemented in software.
> If an agent (or the host OS) is compromised or misaligned, it can simply
> ignore the termination signal.
>
> The Proposed Solution (RATS Integration):
> The draft defines a "Risk Class 5" Agent that MUST execute within a TEE.
> The enforcement mechanism relies on a periodic "Attestation Heartbeat":
>
> 1. The Prover (Agent Hardware): Generates a periodic Quote (EAT)
> certifying the hash of the running kernel/binary and the freshness of the
> session.
> 2. The Verifier (Governance Node): Validates the Quote against the
> Platform Endorsement Key (PEK).
> 3. The Relying Party (Network Peer): Drops all traffic if the Verifier
> does not publish a fresh "Liveness Token" for that Agent.
>
> My Questions for the WG:
> 1. Does the RATS architecture support a model where the "Relying Party"
> (the network peer) is distinct from the "Verifier" (the Governance Node) in
> a real-time loop?
> 2. Are there existing EAT claims (CWT/JWT) best suited for representing
> "Operational State" (e.g., Active vs. Terminated), or would this require a
> custom profile?
>
> I would appreciate any guidance on whether this use case fits within the
> current RATS charter or if there are existing profiles I should reference
> to align Section 5.1 with standard practices.
>
> Link to Draft: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-aylward-aiga/
>
> Best regards,
>
> Edward Richard Aylward Jr.
>
>