What Is Decision Authority?

Direct answer

Decision Authority defines what a person or system is permitted to decide, commit or change on behalf of an organisation within a defined scope.

It is different from access. It is different from technical capability. And it is different from autonomy.

The five questions

Identity - who is acting?

Access - what may it see or reach?

Capability - what can it technically do?

Decision Authority - what may it decide or commit?

Autonomy - how independently may it act inside that boundary?

A simple example

An AI may be technically capable of changing a commercial offer and sending it to a buyer. That does not mean it has authority to grant any discount it chooses. A standing five-percent limit remains five percent even if the system becomes more autonomous.

Why this matters

Enterprise AI governance often focuses on permissions, data access and tool control. Those matter, but organisations also need to model the business mandate behind consequential choices.

How Dainin applies it

Authority Lock is Dainin's boundary mechanism around supported decisions and actions. Decision Ledger keeps relevant evidence, authority, actor, decision and outcome connected.