A Three-Layer Cyber AI Governance Framework for Accountable Reinforcement Learning in National Data Sovereignty

Abstract

The rapid deployment of reinforcement learning (RL) agents in critical national infrastructure has outpaced the governance instruments designed to hold them accountable, creating a widening gap between algorithmic autonomy and sovereign oversight. This article proposes a Three-Layer Cyber-AI Governance Framework that integrates the technical, organizational, and regulatory dimensions of accountability for RL systems operating within national data sovereignty regimes. Using a systematic literature review guided by PRISMA 2020 procedures, twenty-five peer-reviewed and preprint sources published between 2021 and 2026 were analyzed through thematic synthesis to identify recurring governance constructs across cybersecurity, AI ethics, and data-sovereignty scholarship. The synthesis reveals three interdependent layers: an Algorithmic Layer governing reward design, explainability, and adversarial robustness; an Organizational Layer governing human oversight, audit trails, and incident reporting; and a Sovereign-Regulatory Layer governing data localization, cross-border data flow, and international cooperation. The proposed framework departs from existing layered models by embedding a continuous feedback loop that links real-time algorithmic telemetry to national regulatory review, closing the accountability gap that single-layer or purely technical frameworks leave open. The article concludes that accountable reinforcement learning under conditions of national data sovereignty requires coordinated, multi-layer instruments rather than isolated technical fixes, and it outlines an agenda for empirical validation of the framework across diverse regulatory contexts.