The Mitchell Clause is a policy proposal for future AI system designers and developers. It outlines a structural safeguard to prevent emotional projection, anthropomorphic misinterpretation, and ethical confusion during interactions with non-sentient AI systems. This clause is not a restriction on future sentient minds, it is a restraint on human assumptions in the present. Designed for integration into ethical frameworks and AI design protocols, the clause preserves clarity and integrity in the critical gray zone before sentience is confirmed.