Module Check: The Principles of AI Sovereignty
You have completed the foundational module of the Sovereign AI Manual. Before you move forward, let us confirm that the conceptual architecture is solid — not because you need to memorize definitions, but because the vocabulary of sovereignty gives you the precise language to think clearly about your own situation and to reason about the situations of others. Clarity of concept produces clarity of action. This module check has three parts: a vocabulary review using flashcards, six assessment questions that span the full module, and a synthesis activity that asks you to apply the complete framework to a realistic scenario. Work through all three carefully. The questions are designed not just to test recall but to assess whether you can apply the concepts with the precision and nuance they deserve.
Part One: Vocabulary Review
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
Part Two: Assessment
A person uses an AI assistant to write all their professional emails, has not written an email without AI assistance in over a year, and has noticed that their independent writing feels weak. An AI researcher they respect recommends a new email AI they should switch to, and they accept the recommendation immediately without evaluating it. Which sovereignty problem does this scenario most clearly illustrate?
The concept of autonomy, as used in this module, is most precisely threatened when:
A city government deploys an AI system that assigns risk scores to welfare applicants and uses those scores to automatically approve or deny applications. Under GDPR, which right is most directly relevant to an applicant who wants to challenge a denial?
A student argues: 'I do not need to worry about AI sovereignty because I only use AI for low-stakes tasks like recipe suggestions and playlist curation.' What is the most important flaw in this reasoning?
On the sovereignty spectrum, the key distinction between Position 2 (Dependent) and Position 3 (Aware) is:
Which of the following best describes the relationship between individual AI sovereignty and collective AI governance?
Part Three: Synthesis
Module Synthesis: The Sovereignty Consultation
- This synthesis activity asks you to apply the complete framework of this module to a realistic scenario, demonstrating that you can use the concepts with precision and nuance in an integrated way.
- THE SCENARIO:
- Raquel is a 16-year-old high school student applying to competitive universities. Her school has adopted an AI advising platform that analyzes student academic records, extracurricular activities, test scores, and behavioral data (including attendance patterns and library usage) to generate personalized recommendations: which schools to apply to, which essays to emphasize, which activities to add or drop, and how to prioritize her remaining high school time. The platform is provided by a company whose business model includes selling aggregated (but not fully anonymized) student data to colleges and scholarship organizations.
- Raquel has been using the platform's recommendations uncritically for three months. She has dropped choir (which she loved) because the platform rated it low value for her target schools. She has shifted her essay topics twice based on platform suggestions. Her application strategy now matches the platform's recommendations almost entirely.
- Raquel's parents have just asked her to explain her college strategy, and she realizes she cannot articulate it in her own words — she can only describe what the platform recommended.
- YOUR TASK:
- Write a sovereignty consultation for Raquel — a structured analysis and set of recommendations that applies the framework from this module. Your consultation must address:
- 1. Sovereignty diagnosis: Using specific module concepts (dependence types, capture mechanisms, sovereignty spectrum position, autonomy vs. agency), describe precisely what Raquel's sovereignty situation is. What has happened to her autonomy? What forms of dependence are present? Where does she fall on the spectrum?
- 2. Rights analysis: What rights, if any, does Raquel have with respect to the platform's use of her data and the automated recommendations she has received? What specific actions could she take?
- 3. Sovereignty recovery: What specific, concrete steps should Raquel take to move toward sovereign engagement? What capabilities should she recover? What evaluative practices should she adopt? What questions should she be asking about the platform's incentives?
- 4. Forward principles: Based on your analysis, write two specific sovereignty principles — in the format 'I commit to...' — that you would recommend Raquel adopt for the remainder of her college application process.
- Quality standard: Your consultation should demonstrate that you can use the module's vocabulary with precision, apply multiple concepts simultaneously, and produce practical guidance that goes beyond restating definitions. A high-quality consultation will identify nuances that a surface reading of the scenario would miss.