Full Autonomous Mode

The Four Autonomy Modes

Alpha Oracle operates in one of four autonomy modes, set in config/risk_limits.yaml (autonomy_mode) or via SA_RISK__AUTONOMY_MODE:

Mode	Behavior
`PAPER_ONLY`	All orders simulated. No real trades. Default.
`MANUAL_APPROVAL`	All orders require human approval before submission.
`BOUNDED_AUTONOMOUS`	Orders up to $10,000 auto-approve through risk engine. Larger orders require approval.
`FULL_AUTONOMOUS`	All orders auto-approve if Layers 1-4 risk checks pass.

Transitioning Between Modes

Modes must be upgraded one step at a time. Skipping steps is rejected.

PAPER_ONLY → MANUAL_APPROVAL

No financial requirements. System must be healthy (no tripped circuit breakers).

MANUAL_APPROVAL → BOUNDED_AUTONOMOUS

All of the following must be met:

Minimum 30 days in MANUAL_APPROVAL mode
Sharpe ratio ≥ 0.5 during the evaluation period
Maximum drawdown ≤ 10% during the evaluation period

BOUNDED_AUTONOMOUS → FULL_AUTONOMOUS

All of the following must be met:

Minimum 90 days in BOUNDED_AUTONOMOUS mode (hardcoded — not configurable)
Sharpe ratio ≥ 0.5 during the evaluation period
Maximum drawdown ≤ 10% during the evaluation period
Circuit breakers must have been triggered and tested at least once
LLM guardrails must have been verified within the last 24 hours (run POST /api/risk/guardrails/verify)
Typed confirmation: the API call must include "confirmation": "FULL_AUTONOMOUS" in the request body

What Safeguards Remain Active in FULL_AUTONOMOUS

Entering FULL_AUTONOMOUS does not disable any risk checks. All four layers remain fully active:

Position limits — 5% max per position, 25% sector, $5 min price, no leverage
Portfolio limits — 10% max drawdown halt, 3% daily loss halt, 10% cash reserve
Circuit breakers — VIX >35, stale data, reconciliation drift, dead man switch
LLM guardrails — verified that agents cannot access broker interfaces

The kill switch remains operable at all times. Typing KILL via POST /api/risk/kill-switch/activate halts all trading immediately regardless of autonomy mode.

Downgrading

Any mode can be downgraded to any lower mode at any time, with no requirements. Downgrading is always instant.

Checking Readiness

GET /api/risk/autonomy-mode/readiness returns the current mode, days in mode, and a checklist of transition requirements for the next mode up.

Configuration

The thresholds used for mode transitions are configurable in config/risk_limits.yaml:

autonomy_transition_min_days: 30      # Min days for MANUAL->BOUNDED
autonomy_min_sharpe: 0.5             # Min Sharpe for all upgrades
autonomy_max_drawdown_pct: 10.0      # Max drawdown allowed
autonomy_min_profitable_days: 30     # Min profitable days

The 90-day BOUNDED→FULL threshold is hardcoded and cannot be changed via config — it is a safety floor.