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Memo

What’s in a Name? Evaluating Names for the AI Constitution

American Society for AI

An ASFAI memo weighing whether “Constitution” is the right name for the effort. It judges nine candidate names against three criteria — accuracy, power, and uncontroversiality — and notes that “Constitution” is powerful but controversial because its best-known examples are founding documents of sovereign states. Concludes the strongest candidates are Constitution, Covenant, and Charter.

American Society for AI · internal memo on naming the effort.

ASFAI is coordinating a coalition of organizations to agree on guiding principles for developing and deploying AI. Internally the document has been called the AI Constitution, but not everyone agrees that "Constitution" is appropriate. This memo evaluates the name against alternatives.

Criteria

A name should be:

  1. Accurate — its definition and connotations reflect the goals of the effort.
  2. Powerful — it carries historical and emotional significance.
  3. Uncontroversial — it is acceptable to the largest number of member organizations.

There is inherent tension between (2) power and (3) uncontroversiality.

Accuracy assumes the goal is a document that:

  • Creates a new organization composed of member organizations
  • Outlines principles for guiding that organization
  • Is self-authorizing (rather than claiming power from another authority)
  • Is not a sovereign state, nor composed of sovereign states

Candidate names

  • Constitution — mostly accurate; powerful but controversial. Meets the first three accuracy aspects, but carries the connotation of creating a sovereign state; its most famous examples are founding documents of nations.
  • Articles — accurate; neither powerful nor controversial (e.g. Articles of Confederation, Articles of Incorporation). May not convey a lasting legacy.
  • Charter — mostly accurate; neither powerful nor controversial. Sometimes implies external authorization (Virginia colony, British East India Company), though the UN Charter and Earth Charter are counterexamples.
  • Council — partially accurate; refers more to the organization than the founding document.
  • Covenant — mostly accurate; powerful but controversial due to strong religious connotations.
  • Declaration — partially accurate; powerful but controversial; usually a statement of principles, not a founding document.
  • Manifesto — partially accurate; powerful but controversial; prominent examples are extremist (Communist, Fascist, Unabomber).
  • Principles — partially accurate; neither powerful nor controversial; usually a statement of principles, not a founding document (Asilomar AI Principles, OECD Principles on AI).
  • Treaty — not particularly accurate; connotes agreements among sovereign states.

Conclusion

The strongest candidates are Constitution, Covenant, and Charter.

Theses this informs