Contingent
condition set
The financial, human-oversight, labor, and energy conditions that must be met before AI can be deployed. Defined by Rob Coleman in Chapter 3 of Contingent. Becomes legislation in Parliament by Chapter 14. The title of both Chapter 14 and the trilogy.
The condition set is the financial, human-oversight, labor, and energy conditions that must be met before AI can be deployed. The term is defined by Rob Coleman in Chapter 3 of Contingent and becomes legislation in Parliament by Chapter 14. It is the title of both Chapter 14 and the trilogy itself.
The condition set is Rob's answer to the question the trilogy asks: what do we require before we trust a system with real consequences? It is not a ban on AI. It is a set of preconditions — a gate that must be opened before the system runs, not a lock that prevents it from running.
How the term evolves
Contingent: Defined by Rob as a practical framework — the conditions he requires before certifying Northstar. It is personal, professional, and specific.
Essential: The condition set is now legislation. Rob must defend it in Parliament against opponents who want to weaken it and against allies who want to make it stronger than the infrastructure can support. The term evolves from one person's professional standard to a nation's legal framework.