Semantic Drift Control
Drift is a Protocol Violation, not a Model Behavior Issue.
The Problem
The Misdiagnosis of “Hallucination”
Most agent systems treat incorrect or unstable behavior as a model problem.
Common responses include:
- Prompt tuning
- Longer system instructions
- Repeated reminders to “stay on task”
This approach assumes that drift is a psychological flaw of the model. MPLP takes a different view.
Core Principle
Drift Is a Protocol Violation
Semantic drift is not merely a model error. It is a violation of a declared semantic contract.
“When behavior deviates from boundaries, the issue is not “hallucination” — it is a contract breach at the protocol level.”
In MPLP, agents operate within explicitly defined lifecycle and semantic boundaries.
Mechanism
Semantic Contracts and Invariants
MPLP introduces the concept of semantic contracts enforced through protocol-defined invariants.
Contract Definitions
- •Expected roles and responsibilities
- •Allowed transitions between lifecycle states
- •Constraints on decision scope and authority
Drift Definition
Drift occurs when:
- ⚠An agent produces outputs outside its declared scope
- ⚠Lifecycle transitions occur without required confirmations
- ⚠Decisions violate previously established constraints
Architecture
Drift Detection Is a Protocol Concern
MPLP treats drift detection as a first-class protocol responsibility, independent of prompt wording and orthogonal to model quality.
This enables runtimes to:
- ✓Detect deviation events deterministically
- ✓Trigger escalation, rollback, or human confirmation
- ✓Record drift as an auditable event, not a silent failure
Boundary
What MPLP Does NOT Claim
It is important to state explicitly what is out of scope.
MPLP does not eliminate model uncertainty
MPLP does not guarantee perfect outputs
MPLP does not replace model evaluation or testing
Instead, MPLP defines when uncertainty becomes unacceptable within a governed system.
Conclusion
From “Best Effort” to “Defined Failure”
Without protocol-level drift control, agent systems operate on best effort.
“You cannot fix drift by pleading with prompts.”
MPLP reframes drift as a protocol-level event, enabling governed, auditable, and correctable agent behavior.
Detectable
Failure is visible
Classifiable
Deviation is typed
Structured
Intervention is defined