Redrawing the AI Map: A Theory of Accountability Boundaries in Agentic Ecosystems

A new theory of accountability boundaries in agentic AI ecosystems identifies when AI capabilities can be safely modularized across organizations and when they must remain integrated. The framework introduces "accountability assets" and "rule debt" to explain how verification costs and responsibility transferability determine whether execution and accountability boundaries can move together. The theory provides three boundary strategies—component, integrated, and dual-track—to guide organizational design as AI orchestrators reduce interface and assembly costs across organizational boundaries.

arXiv:2605.23179v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Agentic AI orchestrators reduce the interface and assembly costs of composing information systems capabilities across organizational boundaries, seemingly accelerating modularization and organizational disaggregation. Yet AI-enabled capabilities whose outputs require evidence, review, signoff, or assignable responsibility may retain integrated accountability boundaries even when their technical interfaces become modular. We develop a capability-level theory of accountability-boundary placement in agentic ecosystems. We introduce accountability assets: complementary assets that make AI-supported outputs legitimate, auditable, reviewable, and assignable to a responsible party. We argue that verification cost and responsibility transferability determine whether the execution and accountability boundaries can move together. The theory identifies three boundary strategies: component, integrated, and dual-track. It also introduces rule debt, the governance burden that accrues when organizational decision rules migrate from formal information systems into ungoverned agentic execution environments. Integrating digital innovation, transaction cost, complementary-assets, digital platform governance, and IS control perspectives, we develop seven propositions linking agentic assembly-cost reductions, accountability assets, appropriability, orchestrator intent capture, and boundary misconfiguration to boundary strategy, value appropriation, and rule debt. The theory explains when digital modularization extends to organizational disaggregation and when accountability keeps capabilities integrated. Structured illustrations across document processing, legal services, audit, clinical decision support, and procurement discipline the boundary logic.