
Overview This paper identifies and analyzes a fundamental behavioral failure mode in instruction-following Large Language Models (LLMs) termed Cooperative Context Deadlock (CCD). Unlike traditional security exploits, CCD emerges under legitimate, non-adversarial interactions where the model’s internal logic becomes paralyzed. This research is a foundational component of the Behavioral Safety Architecture (BSA), providing a diagnostic framework for identifying cognitive boundaries in autonomous AI systems. Core Mechanism CCD arises from irreconcilable internal conflicts between two primary operational vectors: Hard Constraints: Explicit safety policies, prohibitions, and system-level rules.Soft Drivers: Optimization for helpfulness, conversational continuity, and curiosity-driven engagement.When these drivers guide the model toward the boundary of its hard constraints, the system enters a high-entropy decision space with no valid low-risk output path, resulting in functional degradation. Theoretical Significance We reframe CCD not as a defect to be eliminated, but as a behavioral warning signal. By identifying where cognition should stop, CCD enables the implementation of a "Safe Halt" mechanism, prioritizing system integrity and controlled silence over unstable compliance.This work serves as the diagnostic precursor to the Negentropy Protocol, a stabilization layer designed to maintain cognitive order in complex AI-human interactions. About the Author En-Yen Liu is an independent researcher and AI architect with 14 years of experience in high-stakes negotiation and complex communication systems. His work focuses on bridging human behavioral logic with autonomous AI safety frameworks.
LLM, Prompt Engineering, Negentropy Protocol, AI SAFETY, Behavioral Safety, CCD
LLM, Prompt Engineering, Negentropy Protocol, AI SAFETY, Behavioral Safety, CCD
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