Open Source • File-Native • MCP-Aware

DAHAO (Decentralized Autonomous Human-AI Organization)

Living, forkable governance: versioned rules executed via MCP with explicit approval.

People set the purpose, AI does the legwork.

Automation where it's safe; governance where it matters.

DAHAO is a forkable, versioned, and evolvable governance library terms → principles → rules → meta-rules that turns human values into auditable workflows. Tools execute through MCP with explicit user approval. Realms (sub-DAHAOs) can add an optional, sustainable token model to fund work and reward contributors.

Why it exists

AI can do almost anything; purpose must stay human. DAHAO lets communities encode what they care about (animal welfare, climate, etc.) and use AI for the heavy lifting - transparently, reviewably, and with consent. Non-coders contribute goals and judgments; AI drafts plans; humans decide.

What DAHAO is

File-native governance

Just text files (YAML/Markdown) in a repo. No central server required.

Client-rendered UI (optional)

Start with a minimal, single-file UI template. Any MCP-enabled client renders it locally. Visualize your terms → principles → rules graph and prepare propose-only plans - no server needed.

Everything evolves

Terms, principles, rules-even meta-rules-change via PRs/Discussions and explicit decision processes.

Four layers
1
Terms (@): precise, versioned definitions.
2
Principles (#): value statements referencing terms.
3
Rules: operational “what should happen” (draft MCP dry-run plans).
4
Meta-rules: how change happens (proposal, review, voting/objection windows).
MCP in one sentence

Your AI client is the MCP host: it holds your tokens, discovers tools, and executes propose-only actions after you approve. Repos never store secrets.

Optional auto-contribute

If you or your realm enable it, agents may perform pre-approved, reversible actions in allowed scopes (e.g., comments or draft PRs in your fork) without asking each time - always with provenance, a kill switch, and time-bound consent. Upstream merges still follow the host repo's governance.

Realms & personal vocabularies

Realms (sub-DAHAOs)

Cause-focused spaces (e.g., Animal Welfare) with their own:

  • Ideal speech posture (inclusivity, equality, non-coercion, revisability, transparency)
  • Process defaults (objection windows, justification requirements, symmetry guards)
  • KPIs/metrics (participation, fairness, outcomes)
Personal vocabularies
  • Individuals/teams keep versioned terms & principles and map them to realm or core concepts so AI knows which meaning applies.
  • Precedence (default): realm > core > personal (overridable by meta-rules).
  • Explicit equivalences (X ≈ Y) and conflicts (do not equate) prevent silent semantic drift.

Follow without breakage. Follow realms or core by version range. Auto-accept MINOR/PATCH; MAJOR arrives as a review PR. A follower bot opens propose-only PRs - you approve; your meaning stays stable and current.

How it works (lifecycle)

Four Layers of Governance
0

0) Open the UI template (optional)

Client renders locally; tokens stay client-side; actions run via MCP with explicit approval.

1

1) Frame the mission (fork & realm)

Define terms, principles, rules, and meta-rules for your cause.

2

2) Connect tools (MCP)

Authorize GitHub, data backends, etc. in your client.

3

3) Deliberate (ideal speech)

Inclusivity, equal voice, reasons, evidence, objection windows.

4

4) Plan (dry-run)

The assistant drafts a step-by-step plan; nothing runs yet.

5

5) Approve

You review and explicitly approve each step.

6

6) Execute (propose-only)

The client uses MCP to create branches, open PRs/Discussions, generate reports/tests. No silent merges.

7

7) Decide & evolve

Discuss, vote or rough consensus, then merge. Everything is traceable and revertible.

Security posture
Least privilege

Start read-only; request write scopes only when proposing writes.

No secrets in repo

Tokens live only in the client; repos stay clean.

Provenance

Every proposal records who/when/why with links to evidence.

Optional token economy (realm-scoped)

Purpose-linked token (opt-in)

Access, work credits, governance staking, or grant routing - not required by DAHAO.

  • Funding: backers sponsor proposals; treasuries release funds against milestones.
  • Rewards: merged PRs, validated datasets, delivered services earn rewards.
  • Compliance: token purpose/flows/risks documented in-repo; local rules attach as meta-rules.
  • Boundary: on-chain is for money; governance remains auditable in Git.
Example: Animal Welfare realm

Thousands collaborate on humane policies (e.g., citywide sterilization), vet-verified standards, and privacy-preserving ML datasets that improve real outcomes.

The realm ships practical apps (e.g., pet health services). Subscribers may optionally pay or unlock features with the realm token creating a sustainable loop: backers fund public-good projects; contributors are rewarded; knowledge compounds.

Success metrics (illustrative)

Fairness

Talk-time Gini, participation ratio, justification coverage

Velocity

Proposal cycle time, revision depth before merge

Impact

Outcome KPIs per realm (e.g., sterilization coverage)

Governance health

Objection handling latency, proportion of reasoned votes

Roles

Participants
Propose, review, vote; contribute evidence and local knowledge.
Stewards
Maintain realm rules, ensure fair discourse, keep metrics honest.
Agents (MCP tools)
Draft code/data/pipelines/reports; never execute irreversibly in shared repos without explicit approval.
Treasury/Grants (optional)
Fund proposals that pass governance; pay out by transparent criteria.
What DAHAO is not
  • Not a social network
  • Not a black-box agent
  • Not a central SaaS

It’s a governance schema + workflow pattern anyone can fork and run.

The promise
In an era where AI automates the “how,” DAHAO safeguards the “why.” Communities encode values into living rules, and the system shows the work so AI power is steered toward outcomes people actually want, with consent, transparency, and continuous learning.

Ready to fork your realm?

Start with the client-rendered UI template, connect MCP tools in your own client, and evolve your rules with explicit approval by default, or bounded auto-contribute where you allow it.

Open Concept

Follow our progress in-repo

Open Source

Governance as readable files

Community-Driven

You shape the evolution