Guardrails
Runtime controls that constrain what an LLM system can produce or do — input validators, output filters, topic classifiers, tool allowlists, cost budgets, and human-approval checkpoints. Distinct from model-level safety training; guardrails run at inference time.
Related terms
- Prompt Injection
An attack where adversarial instructions embedded in untrusted content (user input, retrieved documents, tool responses) hijack the model into ignoring its original instructions. Considered the primary security risk for LLM applications; defenses include separation of channels and output validation.
- AI Governance
The framework of policies, procedures, and controls that guide the development, deployment, and use of AI systems within an organization. Ensures AI aligns with organizational values and regulations.
Related on this site
Where this fits
Guardrails is part of the Evaluation & Governance vocabulary used in the Generative AI Maturity Framework. See the full glossary for the complete set of 149 defined terms, or take the free maturity assessment to see where your organisation stands.