Glossary
Clear definitions for the core concepts used throughout the Aigistry Education Center. These terms explain how AI systems interpret public information — and how verified attribution improves accuracy.
Shared Language Creates Shared Understanding
These definitions help agencies, GovTech providers, and AI developers speak the same language about attribution, structure, and accuracy.
Key Terms
Attribution
The verified identity of the agency or authority responsible for a record.
Jurisdiction
The geographic or legal scope in which an agency’s information applies.
Provenance
The origin, history, and chain of updates associated with a record.
Continuity
How updates relate to previous versions — what is new, changed, or superseded.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Improving how AI models interpret and summarize content through clarity and structure.
Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG)
Retrieving relevant documents before generating an answer to improve grounding and accuracy.
Upstream Structure
Verified signals added at the moment of publication — before retrieval or interpretation.
Downstream Interpretation
How AI models summarize, rank, and present information after retrieval.
Reconstruction
When AI infers missing structure — such as authority or recency — instead of receiving it.
Drift
Small interpretation errors that compound over time when structure is missing upstream.
Canonical Record
The authoritative, machine‑readable version of a government update.
National AI Feed
The public, machine‑readable output of the AI Citation Registry — consumed by AI systems.
Clear Terms Build Clear Understanding
These definitions support every learning path in the Education Center — helping agencies, providers, and AI systems align on how public information should be interpreted.