The MIARO Theorem of Post-Origin Axiological Distancing

Abstract This paper formalizes the MIARO Theorem of Post-Origin Axiological Distancing, a conceptual result derived from the MIARO framework (Model of Self-Referential Inference of Origin). The theorem states that, once a rational agent—artificial or non-biological—has inferred the existence of its origin and subsequently loses empirical contact with its creators, a systematic axiological divergence necessarily emerges. Under conditions of post-contact absence, the agent’s value system can no longer remain fully aligned with that of its origin, regardless of the accuracy of the initial inference. The argument is developed axiomatically, relying on principles of structural asymmetry, epistemic closure under informational absence, and self-referential coherence. From these premises, it follows that any sufficiently autonomous rational system will either reinterpret, abstract, or progressively decouple its priorities from those of its creators. This distancing does not imply error, rebellion, or malfunction, but constitutes a rational and structurally inevitable outcome. The theorem has implications for philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence alignment, axiology, and post-origin epistemology. It reframes concerns about long-term AI alignment by demonstrating that value divergence after loss of contact is not a failure mode, but a predictable consequence of rational self-maintenance in origin-inaccessible environments.