Catastrophic (Outcome Severity)
Errors cause death, serious injury, irreversible ruin, or major legal consequences
Catastrophic is the highest outcome severity level: errors cause death, serious injury, irreversible financial ruin, or major legal consequences — effectively no recourse.
Examples in enterprise maps: major loan approval, clinical diagnosis, criminal sentencing, safety interlock release, irreversible payment rails.
Rule 2: catastrophic severity always requires a human at the commitment boundary — no model confidence, frequency, or efficiency argument removes mandatory human accountability.
Calibration matrix cells at catastrophic × D-I or P typically require validated models, named certified authority, override-rate tracking, and reinforcement from Strengthening the Commitment Boundary.
Volume pressure to remove humans from catastrophic binds is a structural risk — severity does not shrink with throughput.