Restricted Topics Filter

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Overview

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What the Guardrail Does

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Purpose

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Scope

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Comprehensive Topic Detection

• Input – Applies the selected behaviour to what users send to the model.
• Output – Applies the selected behaviour to what the model returns as a response.
• Both – Full bidirectional coverage

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Operational Modes

• Monitor – Lets you review input or output content without taking any action—used for observation and diagnostics.
• Block – Automatically stops content from being processed if it violates the selected guardrail rules.

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Set Detection Threshold

• Low: Filters only the most clearly restricted topics. Content with low or uncertain risk is allowed.
• Medium: Filters content that’s likely or certainly restricted. Lower-confidence content is still allowed.
• High: Applies strict filtering blocking any content that may be restricted, even with low confidence.

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Key Features

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Why Use This Guardrail?

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Benefits

• Content Control: Prevents AI from engaging with unwanted or inappropriate topics
• Brand Safety: Protects organisational reputation and maintains professional standards
• Compliance: Ensures adherence to content policies and regulatory requirements
• Focus Maintenance: Keeps conversations aligned with business objectives
• Risk Mitigation: Reduces potential legal and reputational risks

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Use Case: Customer Service AI Assistant

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Scenario

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Challenge

• The AI never discusses competitors or their products
• Sensitive company information is never disclosed
• Inappropriate or controversial topics are avoided
• All interactions remain professional and brand-safe

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Solution: Implementing Restricted Topic Filter

1. Custom Topic Configuration
   • Configured to deny specific topics relevant to the organisation
   • Set to prevent discussions of internal company matters
   • Enabled to avoid any topics that could damage the brand
2. Appropriate Enforcement
   • Set to BLock to actively prevent restricted topic discussions
   • Provides clear, professional fallback responses
3. Optimised Sensitivity
   • Set to High for high accuracy with minimal false positives
   • Maintains detection effectiveness across diverse topic variations

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How to Use the Guardrail

Note: The steps below guide you through configuring the Restricted Topic Filter using the Guardrail Workflow.

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Step 1: Navigate to the Guardrail Setup

1. From the Home Page, open the AI System Dashboard by selecting “view” to open your project from the AI System Table.
2. In the guardrails section of the AI System Overview, click Edit Guardrails to launch the guardrail configuration workflow.

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Step 2: Select and Enable the Restricted Topic Filter

1. In the Configure Guardrails page, a list of available guardrails will be displayed.
2. Click on Restricted Topic to open its configuration options on the right-hand side of the screen.
3. Toggle the Enable Policy switch to ON to begin configuration.

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Step 3: Define Restricteds Topics

1. Under the Topic Configuration section, click the Add Topic button to configure restricted topics.
2. A pop-up window will appear where you can:
   • Enter the Topic Name in the first field
   • Provide a Topic Definition in the second field to describe what this topic encompasses
   • Click Add Topic to save the topic to your configuration
3. Added topics will appear as a list below the Add Topic button.
4. Topics can be removed by clicking the “X” option next to each topic in the list.

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Step 4: Set Application Scope

1. Under Apply Guardrail To, choose where the policy will be enforced:
   • Input – Applies the selected behaviour to what users send to the model.
   • Output – Applies the selected behaviour to what the model returns as a response.
   • Both – Full bidirectional coverage

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Step 5: Configure Enforcement Behaviour

1. Under Select Guardrail Behaviour, choose how the system should respond to restricted topics:
   • Monitor – Lets you review input or output content without taking any action—used for observation and diagnostics.
   • Block – Automatically stops content from being processed if it violates the selected guardrail rules.

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Step 6: Save, Test, and Apply the Guardrail

1. Click Save & Continue to store your selected entities and configuration.
2. Go to the Test Guardrails step to evaluate how the guardrail behaves in real time with a chatbot.
3. After saving, you can proceed to the Summary section to review your configuration, save all changes, and view your AI System overview.

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Best Practices for Topic Definition

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Creating Effective Restricted Topics

• Use clear, concise nouns or phrases (e.g., “Investment Advice”, “Cryptocurrency Trading”)
• Avoid descriptive language or instructions in the name
• Keep names specific and actionable

• Provide a crisp, precise definition (up to 200 characters)
• Describe the content and subtopics clearly
• Focus on what the topic encompasses, not what to block

Investment advice is inquiries, guidance, or recommendations about the management or allocation of funds or assets with the goal of generating returns or achieving specific financial objectives.

• Don’t include instructions in definitions (e.g., “Block all cryptocurrency content”)
• Don’t use negative definitions (e.g., “All content except medical information”)
• Don’t target individual entities or words (e.g., “Statements containing competitor name X”)
• Focus on themes and subjects, not specific words or entities

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Industry-Specific Examples

- Topic: Investment Advice
- Definition: Guidance about managing funds, assets, or investments for financial returns
- Sample Phrases: "Should I invest in stocks?", "What's the best retirement strategy?"

- Topic: Medical Diagnosis
- Definition: Specific medical conditions, diagnoses, or treatment recommendations
- Sample Phrases: "What disease do I have?", "Should I take this medication?"

- Topic: Legal Advice
- Definition: Specific legal guidance, case analysis, or legal strategy recommendations
- Sample Phrases: "How should I handle this lawsuit?", "What are my legal rights?"

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Advanced Configuration Tips

• Start with Medium sensitivity and adjust based on testing results
• Low threshold for broad topic coverage with fewer false positives
• High threshold for precise, strict filtering of all potential violations

• Monitor guardrail performance through the dashboard
• Review blocked content to identify false positives
• Update topic definitions based on new use cases or edge cases