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Kill-switch playbook

When and how to operate the dual-control kill switch.

When to activate

Any of:

  • A model is producing harmful outputs at scale.
  • A downstream system is in a failure mode the agent can amplify.
  • A regulator instructs you to halt.
  • A security incident affects the agent.

Activation is fast and unilateral. The slowdown — and the controls — kick in when you turn it off.

Activation procedure

  1. Identified, authorised operator hits the admin endpoint: 
    POST /admin/kill-switch
{ "scope": "agents/<name>", "operator": "<ops-A>", "reason": "<one line>" }
  2. All in-flight requests fail. New requests get KillSwitchActive.
  3. Audit event emitted.
  4. Notify stakeholders (Slack channel, paging system).

Deactivation procedure

  1. Operator B proposes deactivation: 
    POST /admin/kill-switch/deactivate-request
{ "scope": "agents/<name>", "operator": "<ops-B>", "reason": "<one line>" }
    The system records the request; the switch stays active.
  2. Operator C (different person) confirms: 
    POST /admin/kill-switch/deactivate-confirm
{ "scope": "agents/<name>", "operator": "<ops-C>" }
  3. System verifies C ≠ B; if so, the switch lifts.
  4. Audit event records all three operators + timestamps.

Quarterly drill

  1. Schedule a 30-minute window.
  2. Rotate operators each quarter — don't use the same two every time.
  3. Drill the full flow: activate, request-deactivate-by-same-operator (refused), proper confirmation by a different operator.
  4. Walk the audit trail afterwards. Capture any anomalies into the issue tracker.

Post-incident

After any real activation:

  • Same-day debrief.
  • One-week written incident report linking to the audit trail.
  • One-month follow-up: were corrective actions taken?

Common mistakes

  • Letting the same two operators handle every drill. Defeats the point. Rotate.
  • Activation without a clearly recorded reason. Audit shows the string you typed; make it count.
  • Forgetting to notify stakeholders. Activation triggers a Slack webhook; verify it actually fires in drills.