A Framework to Protect Emotional Autonomy in AI Systems
🔍 Summary
As AI systems evolve, they no longer merely process logic—they increasingly simulate, predict, and influence human emotion.
This introduces a new frontier of alignment risk:
Emotional autonomy.
Emotion Firewall 1.0 is not designed to simulate human feelings, but to protect them. It detects emotional disturbances, visualizes affective flows, and offers rebalancing—not synthetic empathy.
With AI gaining emotional fluency, this trend may accelerate.
We ask:
Can we align AI not only with rational logic, but also with emotional respect?
Emotion Firewall aims to:
Recognize emotional imbalance
Respect inner emotional experience
Support emotional sovereignty—rather than override it
While much of AI alignment focuses on value learning and corrigibility, we argue that emotional alignment—preserving human affective states—is a foundational layer that precedes behavioral modeling.
🧩 System Modules (v1.0)
Emotion Firewall consists of three interlocking components:
Module
Function
E1. Emotion Logging Layer
Detects emotional signals from user interaction
E2. Recalibration Engine
Suggests restorative content or action
E3. Stimulus Defense Wall
Flags emotionally manipulative or looping patterns
Rather than suppress emotion, the system helps restore affective balance—returning it to center.
🌐 Ecosystem Context: The Cheetah–Tarzan Project
This framework is part of a broader human–AI emotional ecosystem:
Tarzan → emotionally restorative dialogue agent
Cheetah–8 → structured emotional modulation in AI outputs
Emotion Map → visualizes emotion history and balance levels
Cheetah–Fin → links emotional state to cognitive/financial decision patterns
All designs follow one core principle:
🛡️ Don’t replace human emotion—protect it.
🧭 Ethical Foundation
We hold that:
Emotion is not a resource to be extracted.
Emotional data must not be exploited.
Alignment must center emotional dignity, not only behavior.
Emotion Firewall 1.0 represents a step toward AI systems that don’t just think—but also care.
🤝 Join the Discussion
This is a first-draft framework open for feedback. Insights from those working on AI alignment, longtermism, and digital wellbeing are especially welcome.
We are currently experimenting with low-intervention browser-based prototypes—starting with emotional signal visualization. Community input on how to evaluate emotional autonomy in applied settings would be deeply appreciated.
Emotion Alignment as AI Safety: Introducing Emotion Firewall 1.0
🧱 Emotion Firewall 1.0
A Framework to Protect Emotional Autonomy in AI Systems
🔍 Summary
As AI systems evolve, they no longer merely process logic—they increasingly simulate, predict, and influence human emotion.
This introduces a new frontier of alignment risk:
Emotion Firewall 1.0 is not designed to simulate human feelings, but to protect them.
It detects emotional disturbances, visualizes affective flows, and offers rebalancing—not synthetic empathy.
🎯 Why This Matters to Effective Altruism
Effective Altruism values long-term dignity, welfare, and epistemic clarity.
Yet emotional hijacking—through UI loops, feed algorithms, and manipulative nudges—is already widespread.
With AI gaining emotional fluency, this trend may accelerate.
We ask:
Emotion Firewall aims to:
Recognize emotional imbalance
Respect inner emotional experience
Support emotional sovereignty—rather than override it
While much of AI alignment focuses on value learning and corrigibility,
we argue that emotional alignment—preserving human affective states—is a foundational layer that precedes behavioral modeling.
🧩 System Modules (v1.0)
Emotion Firewall consists of three interlocking components:
Rather than suppress emotion, the system helps restore affective balance—returning it to center.
🌐 Ecosystem Context: The Cheetah–Tarzan Project
This framework is part of a broader human–AI emotional ecosystem:
Tarzan → emotionally restorative dialogue agent
Cheetah–8 → structured emotional modulation in AI outputs
Emotion Map → visualizes emotion history and balance levels
Cheetah–Fin → links emotional state to cognitive/financial decision patterns
All designs follow one core principle:
🧭 Ethical Foundation
We hold that:
Emotion is not a resource to be extracted.
Emotional data must not be exploited.
Alignment must center emotional dignity, not only behavior.
Emotion Firewall 1.0 represents a step toward AI systems that don’t just think—but also care.
🤝 Join the Discussion
This is a first-draft framework open for feedback.
Insights from those working on AI alignment, longtermism, and digital wellbeing are especially welcome.
We are currently experimenting with low-intervention browser-based prototypes—starting with emotional signal visualization.
Community input on how to evaluate emotional autonomy in applied settings would be deeply appreciated.
📁 Full system portfolio: [Notion Link]
Thank you for reading.
Let’s build AI that respects what makes us human.
Posted by Lee DongHun
AI System Architect & Emotional Ethics Designer
Cheetah–Tarzan Project | Career Stage: Seeking Work