{ "id": "glossary", "schema_version": "1.0", "version": "1.1.0", "published": "2026-10-01", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "canonical_url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/data/glossary.json", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "items": [ { "id": "account-attribution", "name": "Account attribution", "definition": "An evidence-supported connection between activity and a specified account.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#account-attribution", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An authenticated request can support account association without identifying the human at the keyboard. Consider delegated access, shared sessions, compromise, and service automation when interpreting activity records.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "account-takeover", "name": "Account takeover", "definition": "Unauthorized acquisition or use of control over an account.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#account-takeover", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Compare authentication changes, session events, actions, and independent reports under a defined timeline. Unexpected content alone cannot determine whether takeover, delegated access, automation, or an authorized change caused it.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "acquisition", "name": "Acquisition", "definition": "Documented collection of evidence by an appropriate method, with scope, conditions, integrity checks, and limitations recorded.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "preservation", "chain-of-custody" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#acquisition", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Document source scope, tools, timing, versions, and unavoidable effects. A useful collection need not include everything, but the report must keep unexamined and unavailable sources separate from negative findings.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "acquisition-log", "name": "Acquisition log", "definition": "A record of how evidence was collected, including source, scope, tools, times, and handling.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#acquisition-log", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A browser export log records the account, export option, application version, and errors. This helps a reader understand which material the export includes and what the collection could have changed.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "agent", "name": "Agent", "definition": "An AI-enabled system that can pursue a task through actions, such as using tools, under a particular runtime and permission context.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "tool-call", "delegation" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#agent", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the task, runtime, permissions, and tools involved. A conversational assistant becomes relevant to action reconstruction when its workflow can request or execute changes beyond producing a displayed answer.", "sources": [ "mcp" ] }, { "id": "agent-forensics", "name": "Agent forensics", "definition": "Examination of AI-driven task execution, tool use, state, delegation, and effects on local or external systems.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "corroboration" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#agent-forensics", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Link requests, results, and target-system observations through identifiers and timing. A reported upload or command is useful evidence, but independent state checks determine whether its intended effect actually occurred.", "sources": [ "mcp" ] }, { "id": "agent-task", "name": "Agent task", "definition": "A bounded assignment pursued by an agent in a particular execution context.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#agent-task", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the initiating instruction, task identifier, permissions, and completion state. The requested goal can differ from the actions actually attempted and the effects independently observed.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "ai-anti-forensics", "name": "AI anti-forensics", "definition": "Defensive study of interference with the availability, integrity, provenance, or interpretation of AI-related evidence.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "preservation", "provenance-gap" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#ai-anti-forensics", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Compare missing records with ordinary retention, synchronization, and acquisition limits. Interference is a hypothesis requiring support; absence alone cannot show that someone deliberately concealed AI activity.", "sources": [ "nist86" ], "significance": "Test normal explanations and publish defensively useful findings without evasion instructions.", "method": "/methods/corroboration/" }, { "id": "ai-artifact", "name": "AI artifact", "definition": "A record or residual object created, used, or retained by an AI application or its surrounding environment.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "artifact", "ai-evidence" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#ai-artifact", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A conversation database, tool receipt, and saved output may reveal different aspects of activity. Inspect actual structures and application versions rather than assuming that every AI system retains the same records.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "ai-evidence", "name": "AI evidence", "definition": "Digital evidence relevant to a question involving an AI system, interaction, output, configuration, or action.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "digital-evidence", "synthetic-evidence" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#ai-evidence", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Start with a question about an object or event. Identify which digital sources can test it, including ordinary device or account records that become relevant because an AI workflow used them.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "ai-provenance", "name": "AI provenance", "definition": "Information about the origin and history of AI-related content, interactions, models, or workflows.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "model-provenance" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#ai-provenance", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Connect the available generation, editing, and distribution records. Describe which relationships are documented and which are asserted or missing, rather than treating one model label as the entire history.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "api-audit-event", "name": "API audit event", "definition": "A service-generated record of an API request or related action.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#api-audit-event", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It can independently support a tool-call timeline if its source and semantics are understood. Check whether it records request acceptance, authorization, or committed effect before using it to confirm a change.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "approval-event", "name": "Approval event", "definition": "A record of a decision authorizing a specified action or change.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#approval-event", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Identify the approving actor, exact scope, and applicable version. An approval for one file or operation does not necessarily authorize a later revised request, broader target, or different external effect.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "artifact", "name": "Artifact", "definition": "A digital object or record that may help explain an activity or system state. Its significance depends on context and validated interpretation.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "forensic-artifact", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#artifact", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An object becomes useful evidence through a documented relationship to the question. A cache fragment may show retention without establishing when the user viewed it or which interaction created it.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "assertion", "name": "Assertion", "definition": "A stated claim in a record or provenance system. A signature can protect its integrity without proving its factual truth.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "cryptographic-signature", "manifest" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#assertion", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Treat it as a claim with an identifiable source. Signing can protect the recorded statement against changes, while the truth and completeness of what it says still require evidentiary assessment.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "assistant-response", "name": "Assistant response", "definition": "A response represented as produced by the assistant within an interaction record.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#assistant-response", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A displayed response can differ from a streamed or later revised version. Preserve message identifiers and status so the analysis distinguishes generated content, presentation, and downstream actions.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "asynchronous-operation", "name": "Asynchronous operation", "definition": "An operation whose dispatch and completion occur separately.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#asynchronous-operation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A tool can return a job identifier before the external work finishes. Retain later status and result records so the timeline distinguishes acceptance, execution, completion, and observation of the final state.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "attachment", "name": "Attachment", "definition": "An object associated with a message, task, or other application record.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#attachment", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve both the object and the relationship linking it to the interaction. A file in a download folder does not alone establish which prompt used it or whether the model could access its full contents.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "attribution", "name": "Attribution", "definition": "An evidence-supported association with a source, system, workflow, account, model, or actor, at an explicitly stated level.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-attribution", "inference" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#attribution", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Separate the source of content from the person operating an account. Each association needs its own evidence, and one well-supported connection does not automatically resolve the remaining identity questions.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "audio-spoofing", "name": "Audio spoofing", "definition": "Presentation of manipulated, replayed, or generated audio to misrepresent a source or defeat an audio check.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#audio-spoofing", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Distinguish the audio technique from the historical intent and actor. A detector's alert needs condition-specific validation and independent context before it supports a conclusion about a particular call or account.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "audio-synthesis", "name": "Audio synthesis", "definition": "Computational generation of audio such as speech, music, or sound.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#audio-synthesis", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve the original stream and sharing history where available. Compression, mixing, and playback recording can alter useful signals, and a synthetic-speech finding alone does not establish an impersonator's identity.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "audit-trail", "name": "Audit trail", "definition": "A sequence of records describing activities and changes in a system.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#audit-trail", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An account audit trail may record a download separately from a conversation event. Identify who produces the records and whether administrators can alter them before treating the sequence as complete.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "authentication-event", "name": "Authentication event", "definition": "A recorded check used to establish an account or session's access context.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#authentication-event", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Identify the method, time, device context, and outcome where available. Successful authentication supports the system's access decision, while the identity of the historical operator remains a separate attribution question.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "authenticity", "name": "Authenticity", "definition": "The extent to which an item is what it is claimed to be, assessed for a stated proposition rather than inferred from appearance alone.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "content-provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#authenticity", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Ask what the item is claimed to represent. An authentic export can contain an invented scene; confirming the export source and confirming the depicted event require different evidence.", "sources": [ "prov" ], "significance": "Name the claim being tested before assigning an authenticity conclusion.", "method": "/methods/provenance/" }, { "id": "authenticity-calibration", "name": "Authenticity calibration", "definition": "Assessment of how a person’s authenticity judgments and confidence correspond to known source conditions in a defined study.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "authenticity", "source-monitoring-error" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#authenticity-calibration", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Compare judgments with documented source conditions and retain confidence responses. Accuracy and confidence can differ, so a confident answer is not itself evidence that a participant recognized the true origin.", "sources": [ "sourceMonitoring" ], "significance": "Report the stimuli, population, measures, and limits rather than generalizing from intuition.", "method": "/methods/confidence/" }, { "id": "authorization-context", "name": "Authorization context", "definition": "The permissions and policy applicable to an actor's action.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#authorization-context", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An authenticated account may lack permission for a particular operation. Preserve role and resource scope at the relevant time so the report does not infer authority merely from possession of a session.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "automation-bias", "name": "Automation bias", "definition": "A tendency to favor automated guidance under specified task conditions.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#automation-bias", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Test it through a defined study with suitable comparisons. Agreement with one detector result is not by itself evidence of the bias, since independent information or a reasonable method choice can produce the same decision.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "base-model", "name": "Base model", "definition": "A model used as the starting point for an adaptation or downstream deployment.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#base-model", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An adapter's behavior depends on its base-model relationship. Document that relationship rather than attributing all output characteristics to the adapter name or assuming two deployments with similar labels share identical starting weights.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "benchmark", "name": "Benchmark", "definition": "A specified task, dataset, and evaluation procedure used for comparison.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#benchmark", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A benchmark result can compare systems under its rules while leaving case suitability unresolved. Report the version, metrics, exclusions, and input conditions instead of advertising a score as universal forensic accuracy.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "biometric-comparison", "name": "Biometric comparison", "definition": "Comparison of measured biological or behavioral characteristics under a defined method.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#biometric-comparison", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A face or voice similarity result requires quality and error context. Synthetic representations and ordinary lookalikes complicate interpretation, so do not turn a comparison score into certain identity without independent support.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "bit-depth", "name": "Bit depth", "definition": "The number of bits used to represent a sample or channel value in a format.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#bit-depth", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Changing bit depth can alter quantization without changing the apparent subject. Record the actual format and transformations rather than interpreting a technical precision label as evidence of origin or overall quality.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "bitstream-image", "name": "Bitstream image", "definition": "A copy of a specified storage source at the level of its accessible bytes.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#bitstream-image", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An image of a volume can include information absent from a file export. Record unreadable regions and acquisition boundaries; a copy of one volume does not cover an entire cloud account.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "branch", "name": "Branch", "definition": "An alternate path in an interaction graph, often produced by regeneration or editing a prior input.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "regeneration", "response-revision" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#branch", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve alternate paths and their parent relationships. A flattened export can place mutually exclusive responses in apparent sequence, making a conversation look different from its retained structure.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "browser-history", "name": "Browser history", "definition": "Records of navigation retained by a browser under its implementation and settings.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#browser-history", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A visit to an AI service supports a navigation observation. It does not alone establish which account was used, which prompt was submitted, or whether a generated output was saved.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "browser-storage", "name": "Browser storage", "definition": "Data retained by a browser through mechanisms such as local storage, databases, or caches.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#browser-storage", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A web application can distribute state across several storage mechanisms. Inventory the actual origin and profile, and validate each structure instead of assuming a browser history page represents all retained activity.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "c2pa", "name": "C2PA", "definition": "The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity and its technical system for content provenance.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#c2pa", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "C2PA records can describe creation or editing assertions bound to an asset. Validation assesses the specified binding and trust conditions; it does not establish that every depicted event or signed statement is factually true.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "c2pa-claim", "name": "C2PA claim", "definition": "The signed structure connecting specified assertions and other information in a C2PA manifest.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#c2pa-claim", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Identify what the claim covers and which validation checks passed. A valid claim signature supports integrity under the trust model, while the reliability of the asserted facts requires separate examination.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "c2pa-ingredient", "name": "C2PA ingredient", "definition": "An input asset represented in a content-provenance workflow.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#c2pa-ingredient", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An edited image can reference an ingredient photograph. Check the ingredient relationship and available bindings; a reference alone does not mean the examiner possesses the source or can independently validate every earlier transformation.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "c2pa-manifest", "name": "C2PA manifest", "definition": "A structured provenance record containing a claim, assertions, and related information under the C2PA format.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#c2pa-manifest", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve the manifest with its asset and validation context. A manifest can refer to ingredients and editing actions while leaving earlier history undocumented, so describe its actual coverage rather than calling the entire history verified.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "cache", "name": "Cache", "definition": "A retained copy or intermediate representation used to speed later access.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#cache", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A cached image may be resized or older than the current attachment. Establish the cache key, creation behavior, and relationship to the source before using it as evidence of what a user saw.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "calibration", "name": "Calibration", "definition": "Agreement between stated confidence or probability estimates and observed outcomes under defined conditions.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#calibration", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A score of 0.9 is not automatically a 90% chance of AI origin. Calibration requires a specified target, population, and evaluation; report those conditions before interpreting a detector score probabilistically.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "canonicalization", "name": "Canonicalization", "definition": "Conversion into a defined representation for a specified comparison or signature process.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#canonicalization", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A signed JSON system may apply rules before signing. Document those rules and preserve raw bytes, since equal canonical representations and identical acquired files answer different questions about change.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "certificate", "name": "Certificate", "definition": "A signed structure binding a public key to stated attributes under a certificate system.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#certificate", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Examine the certificate chain, validity period, policy, and revocation context. A certificate label is not an independent guarantee that a depicted scene is real or that the named party created every part of the asset.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "certificate-chain", "name": "Certificate chain", "definition": "A sequence of certificate relationships evaluated toward a chosen trust anchor.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#certificate-chain", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Validation can differ across trust stores and dates. Record the chain and policy used, and distinguish a successful trust path from the separate factual claims contained in the signed provenance record.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "chain-of-custody", "name": "Chain of custody", "definition": "A documented record of evidence handling, transfers, storage, and responsible parties over time.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "preservation", "acquisition" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#chain-of-custody", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Document handling from collection through analysis and transfer. Hashes help compare bytes, while the custody history records responsibility, storage conditions, and actions that could affect the evidence.", "sources": [ "nist86" ], "significance": "A digest supports byte comparison while the record explains responsibility and continuity.", "method": "/methods/chain-of-custody/" }, { "id": "cloud-export", "name": "Cloud export", "definition": "An application-provided download of selected remotely stored data.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#cloud-export", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Read the export's documented scope and inspect its structure. A collection may omit internal events or older versions, so compare identifiers and timestamps with separately authorized sources before inferring completeness.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "codec", "name": "Codec", "definition": "A system for encoding and decoding media data.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#codec", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Identify the codec, settings, and version when examining a media stream. Re-encoding can change forensic signals even when a viewer sees the same scene, so validation should include relevant compression conditions.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "collection-scope", "name": "Collection scope", "definition": "The stated boundaries of an evidence collection.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#collection-scope", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Specify accounts, devices, periods, object types, and excluded sources. A scoped export can still be useful, but its gaps must remain visible when the report addresses activity outside the collected interval.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "command-execution", "name": "Command execution", "definition": "Running a command in a specified shell or program environment.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#command-execution", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A displayed command is not necessarily an executed command. Preserve the shell, arguments, working directory, exit status, and corroborating effects so the report explains what the execution evidence actually supports.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "competing-hypothesis", "name": "Competing hypothesis", "definition": "An alternative explanation of the available evidence that can be compared with a preferred account through explicit tests.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "inference", "confidence-statement" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#competing-hypothesis", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "For an apparent agent-created file, consider manual creation, an earlier file, and another process. Identify observations that distinguish these accounts rather than merely listing possibilities without a test.", "sources": [ "nist86" ], "significance": "State what evidence would distinguish the alternatives, not only what supports the favored one.", "method": "/methods/evaluating-synthetic-evidence/" }, { "id": "completion-status", "name": "Completion status", "definition": "A record describing whether and how a generation request ended.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#completion-status", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A timeout and a normal stop can leave similar visible text while having different execution histories. Preserve the raw status and validate the application's mapping before stating that the response was completed successfully.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "concept-drift", "name": "Concept drift", "definition": "Change over time in a relationship a predictive method relies on.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#concept-drift", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A label's relationship to observable signals can change as workflows evolve. Monitor the defined task and data, and distinguish this change from a one-time input-quality problem or an undocumented model update.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "confabulation", "name": "Confabulation", "definition": "An inaccurate account expressed without establishing intentional deception; usage varies by research context.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#confabulation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "In memory research, characterize the tested task and evidence rather than diagnosing a person. In AI discussion, prefer a precise description of an unsupported generated statement instead of importing human psychological conclusions.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "confidence-statement", "name": "Confidence statement", "definition": "An explanation of evidentiary support, assumptions, alternatives, and uncertainty for a particular proposition.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "inference", "corroboration" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#confidence-statement", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Attach the statement to a particular conclusion. Explain supporting sources, independence, alternatives, and gaps so that readers can see why one claim is stronger or weaker than another.", "sources": [ "nist86" ], "significance": "Keep limitations beside the claim and do not import a tool score’s meaning without validation.", "method": "/methods/confidence/" }, { "id": "confusion-matrix", "name": "Confusion matrix", "definition": "A table comparing predicted classes with reference classes in a specified test.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#confusion-matrix", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Keep the underlying counts, not just one summary score. The matrix reveals missed positives and false alerts, while its interpretation still depends on label quality, sampling, thresholds, and the intended use.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "content-address", "name": "Content address", "definition": "An identifier derived from content under a defined hashing and representation scheme.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#content-address", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It can locate a stored object independently of its filename. Verify the scheme and retrieved bytes; a matching address does not explain the object's creator, custody, or the truth of its embedded claims.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "content-credentials", "name": "Content credentials", "definition": "Provenance records associated with content, commonly using the C2PA system of manifests and signed assertions.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "manifest", "cryptographic-signature" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#content-credentials", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Inspect the associated assertions and validation result. Credentials can document a signed editing claim; they do not guarantee that the pictured scene happened or that the entire earlier history is recorded.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "content-provenance", "name": "Content provenance", "definition": "Information describing the origin, creation, handling, and transformation of a content object.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "transformation-history" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#content-provenance", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A source image, project file, export, and repost can document different stages. Keep each version distinct and check the links between them before presenting a continuous creation history.", "sources": [ "prov" ], "significance": "Assess binding, completeness, and source trust separately from factual truth.", "method": "/methods/provenance/" }, { "id": "context-summarization", "name": "Context summarization", "definition": "Replacement of earlier material with a shorter representation for continued processing.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#context-summarization", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A summary can omit wording or introduce an interpretation. Treat it as its own derivative and preserve its source relationship where available, especially when reconstructing what information influenced a later answer.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "context-truncation", "name": "Context truncation", "definition": "Removal of input material to fit a system's available context or processing rules.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#context-truncation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An earlier message can disappear from the actual input while remaining visible in a transcript. Document available runtime evidence and avoid assuming that a complete conversation display equals the context used at every step.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "context-window", "name": "Context window", "definition": "The model’s available input context for a particular step, subject to system limits and any truncation or summarization.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "prompt", "retrieval-augmented-generation" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#context-window", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Establish what was supplied for the particular step where evidence permits. Earlier visible messages may have been truncated or summarized, and external material may have been added without appearing in the user transcript.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "conversation-branch", "name": "Conversation branch", "definition": "An alternate route through a conversation's message relationships.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#conversation-branch", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An edited earlier prompt can create a new branch while retaining the old response elsewhere. Preserve branch identifiers and selection context; a single exported view may not show which version a user saw.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "conversation-export", "name": "Conversation export", "definition": "An application-provided representation of conversation data.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#conversation-export", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Check its schema, attachments, branch selection, and export time. A readable transcript may conceal missing alternatives or tool events, so assess coverage before treating the displayed order as the entire interaction history.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "conversation-graph", "name": "Conversation graph", "definition": "A representation of messages and relationships such as parent links, branches, or revisions.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#conversation-graph", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It helps distinguish alternative responses from sequential events. Mark absent nodes and unsupported edges so readers can see what was recovered without mistaking an analytical layout for the application's complete original state.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "cookie", "name": "Cookie", "definition": "A browser-managed value associated with requests under domain, path, and other rules.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#cookie", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A cookie can help explain an account session but is not proof of a person's identity. Treat session credentials as sensitive, record only necessary context, and prevent their inclusion in public examples.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "correlation", "name": "Correlation", "definition": "Comparison of records to assess a relationship using identifiers, content, time, or other properties, with alternatives considered.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "corroboration", "timeline-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#correlation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "State the matching rule and its alternatives. Shared times or filenames may narrow candidates, but stronger identifiers and independent relationships help distinguish coincidence from a supported event link.", "sources": [ "mcp" ] }, { "id": "corroboration", "name": "Corroboration", "definition": "Support for a proposition from independent evidence, with independence assessed for the particular claim.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "correlation", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#corroboration", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Check independence for the specific claim. Three websites repeating one source are not three independent observations, while a target-system audit event can test an agent’s reported action.", "sources": [ "mcp" ] }, { "id": "credential-verification", "name": "Credential verification", "definition": "Checking an issued credential's recorded identity, scope, issuer, and status under its verification process.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#credential-verification", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A valid credential record supports the issuer's stated award and current status. It does not guarantee every future forensic conclusion, and a course-completion record must retain its actual meaning.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "cryptographic-signature", "name": "Cryptographic signature", "definition": "A cryptographic mechanism used to verify a signed record under a key and trust model; claim truth and signer identity need separate assessment.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "assertion", "trust-store" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#cryptographic-signature", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the algorithm, key association, verification result, and trust policy. Successful verification supports a defined cryptographic relationship without establishing that the signed narrative is complete or truthful.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "custody-transfer", "name": "Custody transfer", "definition": "A documented handoff of an evidence object or its controlled storage responsibility.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#custody-transfer", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the parties, time, identifiers, and integrity checks at the handoff. A digest can verify transferred bytes while the custody record explains who handled them and under what conditions.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "data-leakage", "name": "Data leakage", "definition": "Unintended use of information in evaluation that undermines the claimed separation or validity of a test.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#data-leakage", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Near-duplicate training and test files can inflate apparent performance. Check splitting and transformations, and distinguish evaluation leakage from unauthorized disclosure of private data, which is a separate security meaning.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "data-minimization", "name": "Data minimization", "definition": "Limiting collected and disclosed information to what a stated purpose requires.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#data-minimization", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An identity analysis may need account event identifiers while not needing unrelated messages. Document the selection and access controls so that privacy protection does not become an unexplained omission in the reasoning.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "database-checkpoint", "name": "Database checkpoint", "definition": "An operation that incorporates changes from a transaction log into another database representation.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#database-checkpoint", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A SQLite checkpoint can change where committed records reside. Record when and how an application was stopped or opened, since those actions can affect the relationship between database and WAL files.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "database-journal", "name": "Database journal", "definition": "A database's record used to support recovery or transactional consistency.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#database-journal", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A journal is an implementation-specific source, not a universal message history. Acquire related files consistently and test how the application's actual database configuration creates, updates, and removes them.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "dataset-provenance", "name": "Dataset provenance", "definition": "Information about a dataset's sources, collection, processing, permissions, and revisions.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#dataset-provenance", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A detector benchmark needs traceable labels and transformation history. Document sampling and rights as well as file hashes so readers can assess whether the corpus represents the population relevant to their question.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "deduplication", "name": "Deduplication", "definition": "Identification or consolidation of repeated objects under a defined comparison rule.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#deduplication", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Two byte-identical attachments can share content while having different message relationships. Preserve those relationships even when storage is consolidated, and distinguish exact matching from perceptual or semantic similarity.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "deepfake", "name": "Deepfake", "definition": "A commonly used term for synthetic or manipulated media representing a person or event, often through AI-based generation or alteration.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "impersonation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#deepfake", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Describe the actual manipulation: a swapped face, generated voice, or altered performance. The broad label does not establish a production method, deceptive intent, or who controlled the workflow.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "delegation", "name": "Delegation", "definition": "Assignment of work from an initiating agent or task to another agent or process, with a traceable relationship where records permit.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#delegation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve parent and child task identifiers with dispatch, completion, and incorporation events. A child report can exist without the parent using it, and a summary may hide important errors or limits.", "sources": [ "mcp" ] }, { "id": "delegation-chain", "name": "Delegation chain", "definition": "Recorded relationships connecting an initiating task to delegated work and subsequent results.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#delegation-chain", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Trace child identifiers and result incorporation where evidence permits. A parent's final answer may summarize a child's report without independently checking it, so preserve that distinction in the evidence account.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "deleted-record", "name": "Deleted record", "definition": "A record removed from an application's active view or logical data structure.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#deleted-record", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A deleted conversation can still have references elsewhere, or no recoverable residue at all. Separate the user's deletion action, server retention, local synchronization, and forensic recovery rather than treating them as one event.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "deployment-identifier", "name": "Deployment identifier", "definition": "A reference to a particular hosted or local model deployment.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#deployment-identifier", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It may identify an endpoint configuration rather than immutable weights. Check its scope and change history before linking responses across time or concluding that all requests used the same model state.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "derivation", "name": "Derivation", "definition": "A documented relationship in which one object or record was produced from another.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#derivation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A transcript derived from audio should point to the exact recording and processing method. Retain uncertainties such as recognition errors so the transcript is not presented as a direct capture of spoken words.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "derived-evidence", "name": "Derived evidence", "definition": "An output created from source evidence by a documented transformation, retained with a traceable relationship to its inputs.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "transformation-history", "chain-of-custody" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#derived-evidence", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A normalized timeline is an analysis product, not the original log. Retain its input references, conversion rules, and version so another examiner can inspect how each event was produced.", "sources": [ "nist86" ], "significance": "Assign the derivative its own identifier and preserve transformation details and source references.", "method": "/methods/reporting/" }, { "id": "detection-threshold", "name": "Detection threshold", "definition": "A chosen decision boundary used to classify a measurement or score.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#detection-threshold", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Changing a threshold changes the balance of missed cases and false alerts. Report the selected rule and validation population so readers can assess what a positive result means in the actual examination.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "developer-instruction", "name": "Developer instruction", "definition": "Application-supplied guidance that influences a model's behavior under a system's instruction rules.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#developer-instruction", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A service can change this guidance between sessions. Record the available version and scope, and distinguish documented configuration from a reconstruction based only on output behavior.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "diffusion-model", "name": "Diffusion model", "definition": "A generative model family that learns a process for transforming noise or corrupted representations into outputs.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#diffusion-model", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A diffusion-generated image can pass through substantial editing and compression. Model-family information gives workflow context, but it does not validate a particular detector or prove a specific output came from that family.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "digital-evidence", "name": "Digital evidence", "definition": "Digital data used to assess an investigative proposition, with its source, integrity, and interpretive limitations documented.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "ai-evidence", "chain-of-custody" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#digital-evidence", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Keep source, integrity, and interpretation visible. A trustworthy collection of a false statement is still a real digital record; its evidentiary use depends on the proposition being assessed.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "digital-persona", "name": "Digital persona", "definition": "An identity representation assembled through an account, profile, or online behavior.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#digital-persona", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A persona can combine true, invented, and borrowed elements. Preserve the relevant account and content relationships while separating representation, control, and the unresolved identity of the operator.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "digital-provenance", "name": "Digital provenance", "definition": "Recorded information about the origin, derivation, and handling of digital objects and records.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "content-provenance" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#digital-provenance", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record derivations as well as custody. A file can retain identical visible content after metadata changes, so distinguish the history of acquired bytes from the history of the represented information.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "disk-image", "name": "Disk image", "definition": "A documented representation of a specified disk or storage volume.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#disk-image", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A disk image can support repeatable analysis of local application files. Its value depends on the imaging method and coverage; it does not automatically include remote messages or encrypted data in readable form.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "distribution-shift", "name": "Distribution shift", "definition": "A change in the statistical distribution of inputs or outcomes relevant to a system.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#distribution-shift", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Changes in content sources or processing can alter errors without any software update. Describe the comparison populations and dates, and test performance under the actual distribution rather than assuming past calibration remains valid.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "domain-shift", "name": "Domain shift", "definition": "A difference between the conditions represented in development or evaluation and those in use.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#domain-shift", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A detector trained on clean images may encounter screenshots with overlays. Test the acquired input conditions or state the gap before assigning a score the meaning established on the original population.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "email-verification", "name": "Email verification", "definition": "A check that demonstrates access to an email address under stated conditions.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#email-verification", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It supports control of that address at the check time. It does not independently establish the account holder's real-world identity, authority to represent an institution, or competence in forensic examination.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "embedded-manifest", "name": "Embedded manifest", "definition": "A provenance manifest stored inside an asset's format or container.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#embedded-manifest", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An export can remove the manifest while retaining visible content. Compare versions and workflow records; absence from the circulated file does not establish that an original never had credentials or that the content is nonsynthetic.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "embedding", "name": "Embedding", "definition": "A numerical representation used by a system to encode properties or relationships of data. Similarity in that representation is method-dependent.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "retrieval-augmented-generation", "model-forensics" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#embedding", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Similarity depends on the model and representation. Two neighboring vectors may help retrieve related passages but do not alone prove copying, shared authorship, or factual agreement between the passages.", "sources": [ "aiRmf" ] }, { "id": "evaluation-dataset", "name": "Evaluation dataset", "definition": "A collection used to measure performance under a defined evaluation procedure.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#evaluation-dataset", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "State how items were selected, labeled, and separated from training material. A useful score still applies only to the tested conditions and does not guarantee the same error rate on an unknown case population.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "evidence-contamination", "name": "Evidence contamination", "definition": "Introduction of changes or outside material that can affect evidence interpretation.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#evidence-contamination", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Opening a project can create new cache files or timestamps. Record examiner actions and controlled comparisons so that collection artifacts are not attributed to the historical user or original generation workflow.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "evidence-identifier", "name": "Evidence identifier", "definition": "A stable label connecting an object or source to examination and reporting records.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#evidence-identifier", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Assign identifiers to originals and derivatives separately. A timeline entry can then point to the exact source row and transformation record, allowing another examiner to check how the statement was produced.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "evidence-inventory", "name": "Evidence inventory", "definition": "An organized list of acquired sources and objects with identifiers and collection context.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#evidence-inventory", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "List a conversation export, its attachments, and an API audit file as separate items. Record their relationships so that two copies of one event are not mistaken for independent corroboration.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "evidence-reconstruction", "name": "Evidence reconstruction", "definition": "An account of events and relationships derived from surviving evidence, with source references, gaps, and alternative histories made explicit.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "timeline-reconstruction", "corroboration" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#evidence-reconstruction", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Build the account from identified source records. If a missing interval permits several histories, preserve those alternatives instead of supplying a plausible sequence as though it were recovered.", "sources": [ "nist86" ], "significance": "Keep uncertain ordering and missing links visible in the reported history.", "method": "/methods/reconstruction/" }, { "id": "execution-trace", "name": "Execution trace", "definition": "Records of steps performed during a program or agent run.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#execution-trace", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A trace can link tool requests to reported results, but its completeness depends on instrumentation. Corroborate consequential changes with target-system evidence rather than assuming every trace entry describes a successful effect.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "exfiltration", "name": "Exfiltration", "definition": "Unauthorized movement of information out of its permitted environment.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#exfiltration", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A forensic account needs evidence of the information, destination, transfer, and authorization boundary. A suspicious URL or proposed upload alone cannot establish that protected content actually left the system.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "exif-metadata", "name": "EXIF metadata", "definition": "Structured metadata commonly associated with image capture and editing workflows.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#exif-metadata", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An EXIF camera label is a recorded assertion that can survive copying or be modified. Compare it with file structure, provenance, and independent source records before treating it as proof of capture by that camera.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "exit-status", "name": "Exit status", "definition": "A code or state returned when a process or operation ends.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#exit-status", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Zero can indicate success under a program's rules without proving every desired outcome. Validate the tool's semantics and inspect the relevant output or external state before concluding that the agent's task was fulfilled.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "face-reenactment", "name": "Face reenactment", "definition": "Modification or synthesis of facial movement or expression using another performance or control signal.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#face-reenactment", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A face may retain identity appearance while its expressions are changed. Examine the relevant temporal sequence and creation records; a single still frame can conceal the movement relationships the method is meant to test.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "face-swap", "name": "Face swap", "definition": "Replacement or alteration of a depicted face using another identity representation.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#face-swap", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Compare source media, edit records, and timing rather than relying only on visual artifacts. A depicted resemblance can support a content question without identifying the person who operated the software.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "false-negative", "name": "False negative", "definition": "A negative classification when the tested proposition is present, measured relative to defined ground truth and evaluation conditions.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "false-positive", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#false-negative", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record what the positive class contains and how it was labeled. A missed compressed synthetic image is different from a test excluding such inputs; describe the coverage before applying the measured rate.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "false-positive", "name": "False positive", "definition": "A positive classification when the tested proposition is absent, measured relative to defined ground truth and evaluation conditions.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "false-negative", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#false-positive", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Report the tested negative class and denominator. Ordinary camera images with editing may produce different error conditions from untouched negatives, so a published rate needs relevant population context.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "file-carving", "name": "File carving", "definition": "Recovery of candidate file content from storage using structure or recognizable patterns.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#file-carving", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A carved image may have lost its original filename and folder relationship. Validate its boundaries and label missing context instead of assigning it to a conversation solely because it resembles an attachment.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "file-container", "name": "File container", "definition": "A format that holds one or more streams, objects, or metadata structures.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#file-container", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A video container can hold audio, video, subtitles, and timing information. Document which components an extraction preserves, because converting the visible video alone may discard useful context.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "file-signature", "name": "File signature", "definition": "A recognizable byte pattern used to identify a possible file format.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#file-signature", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A JPEG header can identify a candidate format even when the filename ends in .bin. Validate the whole structure; a matching prefix alone does not prove the file is complete or safe to parse.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "filesystem-metadata", "name": "Filesystem metadata", "definition": "Filesystem records about objects, such as names, locations, permissions, and recorded times.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#filesystem-metadata", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A modification time describes a filesystem event under that system's rules. Compare it with application and transfer records before interpreting it as the time an AI output was originally generated.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "fine-tuning", "name": "Fine-tuning", "definition": "Additional training that modifies a model or adaptation component; its records may help establish a deployment’s lineage.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-lineage", "model-provenance" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#fine-tuning", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Distinguish updated weights from adapters and configuration changes. Preserve the accessible inputs and resulting components so model lineage claims remain tied to actual records rather than names alone.", "sources": [ "aiRmf" ] }, { "id": "forensic-artifact", "name": "Forensic artifact", "definition": "A digital object or residual record examined for its potential evidentiary meaning in a defined context.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "artifact", "interpretation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#forensic-artifact", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Validate how the application creates and changes the record before assigning meaning. A field named created_at might refer to import or local storage rather than the historical creation of the underlying content.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "forensic-working-copy", "name": "Forensic working copy", "definition": "A copy designated for examination while preserving a documented reference source.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#forensic-working-copy", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Verify the copy against the recorded source digest before analysis. If analysis changes it, retain that result as a derivative with its own identifier rather than silently replacing the reference copy.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "frame-rate", "name": "Frame rate", "definition": "The rate at which video frames are represented or presented.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#frame-rate", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Variable frame timing and later conversion can complicate event ordering. Inspect timestamps and the container's timing rules instead of assuming every frame is separated by the reciprocal of one displayed rate.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "function-calling", "name": "Function calling", "definition": "A model interface pattern for selecting named functions and structured arguments.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#function-calling", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "The model's argument proposal is distinct from application execution. Identify which component validates, authorizes, and runs the call so that a structured response is not mistaken for proof of an action.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "generation-seed", "name": "Generation seed", "definition": "A value used to initialize a pseudorandom process in a generation workflow.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#generation-seed", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record it with the model, software, sampler, and configuration. The same seed can yield different outputs after an environment or model change, so it is one reproducibility input rather than a universal output identifier.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "generative-adversarial-network", "name": "Generative adversarial network", "definition": "A model framework involving a generator and a discriminator trained in relation to one another.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#generative-adversarial-network", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "The discriminator used during training is not automatically a forensic detector. Evaluate any examination method on the actual output conditions, including later processing and sources outside the training population.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "generative-ai", "name": "Generative AI", "definition": "An AI system used to produce outputs such as text, images, audio, video, or code from inputs and learned relationships.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "large-language-model", "multimodal" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#generative-ai", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Outputs reflect a model operating within a larger application. Prompts, retrieval, settings, tools, filtering, and later edits can all matter when reconstructing a particular generated result.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "generative-artifact", "name": "Generative artifact", "definition": "A generated output or associated record connected to a generative-system workflow.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "generative-ai", "synthetic-artifact" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#generative-artifact", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A render, intermediate file, and job receipt can all belong to one generation. Give each an identifier and test their relationships instead of counting them as independent proof of the same event.", "sources": [ "nist86" ], "significance": "Preserve inputs and provenance where available instead of inferring a complete workflow from one output.", "method": "/methods/acquisition/" }, { "id": "ground-truth", "name": "Ground truth", "definition": "Reference labels or outcomes used as the basis for a defined test.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#ground-truth", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Document how the labels were established and what they actually mean. A file marked synthetic may represent generation, editing, or redistribution, and those differences can materially change a detector's evaluated claim.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "guidance-scale", "name": "Guidance scale", "definition": "A parameter controlling the influence of conditioning in some generation systems.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#guidance-scale", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Its behavior depends on the model and implementation. Report the recorded setting as workflow context, without treating a particular value as a recognizable visual signature or a measure of factual reliability.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "hard-binding", "name": "Hard binding", "definition": "A cryptographic relationship tying provenance information to specified asset content.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#hard-binding", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Check which parts of the asset the binding covers and how exclusions are handled. Successful validation supports that defined relationship, not an unrestricted claim about every byte, prior version, or real-world event.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "hash-collision", "name": "Hash collision", "definition": "Different inputs producing the same digest under a hash function.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#hash-collision", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Collision resistance is a property of an algorithm and threat context. Select an appropriate integrity method and retain collection records; a digest is evidence of byte comparison rather than a complete provenance account.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "hash-digest", "name": "Hash digest", "definition": "The fixed-length result of applying a stated hash algorithm to bytes.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#hash-digest", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the algorithm and acquired object along with the digest. Matching SHA-256 values support byte equality under the method; they do not show who created the object or whether its claims are true.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "hash-verification", "name": "Hash verification", "definition": "Comparison of a computed digest with a documented reference digest.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#hash-verification", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Verify evidence after a transfer to detect byte changes. A mismatch calls for investigation of scope, encoding, corruption, or modification; it does not alone tell you which explanation caused the difference.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "human-ai-interaction", "name": "Human-AI interaction", "definition": "An exchange between a person and an AI-enabled system, including available context, responses, revisions, and associated actions.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "prompt", "interaction-forensics" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#human-ai-interaction", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve the exchange with its uploads, revisions, and relevant context. A visible question and final answer can leave out the branches or external actions needed to understand what happened.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "hyperparameter", "name": "Hyperparameter", "definition": "A setting controlling a training or computation process rather than a fitted parameter.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#hyperparameter", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A learning rate or batch size can help explain adaptation conditions. Record the actual setting and stage rather than assuming a common default was used when the historical configuration is unavailable.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "idempotency", "name": "Idempotency", "definition": "A property in which repeating an operation has the same relevant effect as applying it once.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#idempotency", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "The property depends on the specific interface and state. Record idempotency keys and service semantics when interpreting retries; repeated requests do not necessarily create repeated objects, but some operations do.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "identity-claim", "name": "Identity claim", "definition": "A statement that a person, account, or representation corresponds to a specified identity.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#identity-claim", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A profile name and a verified email answer different questions. Document exactly what was checked before treating an identity label as evidence of expertise, legal identity, or control of another account.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "identity-fusion", "name": "Identity fusion", "definition": "Combining generated, invented, or borrowed identity elements into a composite representation.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "impersonation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#identity-fusion", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Describe which identity elements are documented as borrowed, generated, or invented. A composite representation does not automatically reveal common account control or the real-world identity of its creator.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "identity-linkage", "name": "Identity linkage", "definition": "An evidence-supported relationship among accounts, identities, or representations.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#identity-linkage", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "State whether the link concerns shared content, contact details, access infrastructure, or an operator. Each has a different strength and scope; one repeated avatar does not settle personal identity.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "identity-proofing", "name": "Identity proofing", "definition": "A process for assessing evidence that connects an applicant to a claimed identity.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#identity-proofing", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Its assurances depend on the process and evidence used. Keep it separate from email verification and professional qualification, and record the specific checks rather than describing every verified account as identity-proven.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "image-synthesis", "name": "Image synthesis", "definition": "Computational creation of an image from learned or procedural representations.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#image-synthesis", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A generated picture can later be edited and photographed from a screen. Examine the acquired version and available workflow records; visual plausibility does not establish camera origin or identify the generation system.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "image-to-image-generation", "name": "Image-to-image generation", "definition": "Creation or transformation of an image using another image as an input.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#image-to-image-generation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An output may retain some source composition while altering details. Compare preserved input and output objects and transformation records; similarity alone cannot determine whether the process was generative, manual, or a combination.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "impersonation", "name": "Impersonation", "definition": "Representation or use of an identity in a manner that purports to be another person or entity; operator attribution remains a separate question.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "voice-cloning", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#impersonation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Identify the representation and who it purports to be. A resemblance or misleading account name may support a content observation, while intent, distribution, and operator attribution require additional evidence.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "impersonation-artifact", "name": "Impersonation artifact", "definition": "An object or record relevant to a representation purporting to be another identity.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#impersonation-artifact", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A cloned voice clip, profile image, and registration event can support different parts of the account. Preserve their relationships and distinguish depicted identity from source creator, distributor, and controlling operator.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "indexeddb", "name": "IndexedDB", "definition": "A browser database interface used by applications to store structured objects.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#indexeddb", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An application may retain conversation objects in IndexedDB. Inspect the relevant origin, schema, and version; the API's existence does not mean a particular application stores prompts or keeps deleted material there.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "indirect-prompt-injection", "name": "Indirect prompt injection", "definition": "A redirection attempt carried through material a system reads, such as a retrieved page or document.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#indirect-prompt-injection", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve the encountered material and retrieval context. A webpage can contain hostile wording without the system obeying it, so reconstruction must link exposure to observed actions and consider other explanations.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "inference", "name": "Inference", "definition": "A reasoned interpretation supported by evidence and stated assumptions, rather than a directly observed fact.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "observation", "interpretation" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#inference", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Show the observations and assumptions supporting the step beyond direct measurement. Keep reasonable alternatives visible so another reader can assess whether the conclusion follows under the stated conditions.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "inference-runtime", "name": "Inference runtime", "definition": "Software and configuration that execute a model's computations.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#inference-runtime", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Runtime versions and hardware can affect reproducibility. Preserve the environment when accessible, and distinguish known local conditions from a hosted service's undisclosed infrastructure rather than inventing missing implementation detail.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "inpainting", "name": "Inpainting", "definition": "Replacing or generating content inside a selected region of an image.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#inpainting", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A changed region may coexist with camera-origin pixels elsewhere. State which proposition concerns which region, and retain masks or edit records when available rather than classifying the entire image's history from one local signal.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "integrity", "name": "Integrity", "definition": "A property assessed through checks of whether an object or record changed relative to a reference. It is distinct from origin and factual accuracy.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "sha-256", "cryptographic-signature" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#integrity", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Compare acquired bytes against a specified reference and method. A preserved file can contain false information; demonstrating no detected change is separate from demonstrating origin or factual accuracy.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "interaction-forensics", "name": "Interaction forensics", "definition": "Reconstruction of human-AI exchanges, their context, revisions, branches, tool activity, and downstream consequences from evidence.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "prompt-reconstruction", "regeneration" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#interaction-forensics", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Reconstruct the exchange as linked events rather than flattening every response into one conversation. State which branch was retained or displayed and where missing context limits the account.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "interpretation", "name": "Interpretation", "definition": "An explanation of what an observed artifact may mean within a stated system, method, and context.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "observation", "inference" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#interpretation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Explain the system-specific meaning assigned to an observation. Test a timestamp field’s behavior, for example, before using its name to infer when a user created the underlying message.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "job-queue", "name": "Job queue", "definition": "A system that holds work for later processing.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#job-queue", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A queued task is not yet a completed operation. Examine scheduling, worker records, cancellation, and results to establish what occurred, particularly when requests were accepted shortly before a service interruption.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "jpeg-quantization", "name": "JPEG quantization", "definition": "A JPEG encoding process that reduces precision in transformed image coefficients.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#jpeg-quantization", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Quantization can influence visible artifacts and signal measurements. Record the actual encoding evidence and comparison conditions; similar tables may arise from common software rather than a unique camera or generator.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "keyframe", "name": "Keyframe", "definition": "A frame that serves as a reference within a video encoding structure.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#keyframe", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Extraction tools can seek to a nearby keyframe rather than the exact requested moment. Document decoding and time selection when an analysis depends on a particular frame or the onset of a depicted action.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "large-language-model", "name": "Large language model", "definition": "A model trained to process and generate language-related sequences; deployment behavior also depends on context, configuration, and surrounding systems.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "generative-ai" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#large-language-model", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A hosted model name does not reveal every deployment detail. Use actual configuration or service evidence where available, and avoid attributing an output to one model solely through writing style.", "sources": [ "aiRmf" ] }, { "id": "latent-representation", "name": "Latent representation", "definition": "An internal numerical representation used by a model to encode information.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#latent-representation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A saved latent can connect stages of a generation workflow if its source is documented. Similar latent coordinates or output resemblance do not by themselves establish a shared creator or identical generation history.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "least-privilege", "name": "Least privilege", "definition": "Granting only the permissions required for a stated task or role.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#least-privilege", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An agent can read a resource while lacking authority to modify it. Compare the historical permission state with attempted and observed actions when examining whether a workflow crossed its intended access boundary.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "lip-synchronization", "name": "Lip synchronization", "definition": "Alignment of mouth movements with speech, whether captured, edited, or generated.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#lip-synchronization", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Mismatch can result from ordinary dubbing or playback issues as well as synthesis. Assess audio and video timing and acquisition transformations before interpreting a synchronization anomaly as evidence of a deepfake.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "live-acquisition", "name": "Live acquisition", "definition": "Collection performed while a system is running.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#live-acquisition", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Capturing a running application's memory can preserve temporary state, but the collection itself changes the environment. Record the order of actions and explain why volatile material matters to the question.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "liveness-detection", "name": "Liveness detection", "definition": "A check intended to distinguish a live presentation from specified nonlive or manipulated inputs.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#liveness-detection", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Its effectiveness depends on the modality, challenge, and tested attack conditions. Record what the check actually establishes rather than assuming a successful result rules out every replay or synthetic presentation.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "localstorage", "name": "LocalStorage", "definition": "A browser mechanism for retaining string key-value data for an origin.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#localstorage", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A key may contain preferences or an account reference rather than a transcript. Preserve and interpret it within the application's version and origin, and avoid exposing authentication values in a public report.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "logical-acquisition", "name": "Logical acquisition", "definition": "Collection of selected files, records, or objects through a filesystem or application interface.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#logical-acquisition", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Downloading a conversation is a logical acquisition. It may preserve visible messages while excluding internal identifiers, deleted branches, and application state. Describe the selection rather than calling it a complete device image.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "lora", "name": "LoRA", "definition": "Low-Rank Adaptation, a method for adapting a model through additional low-rank parameter components.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#lora", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An acquired LoRA component needs its compatible base and runtime context for reproduction. Its filename or author label is a provenance assertion, while byte identity and historical use require separate supporting records.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "lossless-compression", "name": "Lossless compression", "definition": "Compression designed to preserve the encoded input information on decoding.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#lossless-compression", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Lossless handling can preserve pixel or sample data while a surrounding export changes metadata. Define which representation is compared; unchanged decoded content is a different proposition from identical file bytes.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "lossy-compression", "name": "Lossy compression", "definition": "Compression that discards some information according to an encoding method.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#lossy-compression", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A social-media upload can remove details or create artifacts. Compare the acquired object's processing history with tested controls before interpreting those artifacts as generation traces or relying on a detector evaluated only on originals.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "magic-bytes", "name": "Magic bytes", "definition": "Characteristic bytes, often near the beginning of a file, that help identify its format.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#magic-bytes", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A format check can expose an incorrect extension before analysis. Retain the original filename in the inventory while separately recording the format supported by the acquired bytes and parser results.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "manifest", "name": "Manifest", "definition": "A structured record describing claims, references, or relationships associated with an object or release. Its meaning depends on the manifest format.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "content-credentials", "assertion" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#manifest", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Read it under its own format and scope. A release manifest lists artifacts and hashes; a content-provenance manifest carries assertions. Similar names do not give these records identical assurances.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "mcp", "name": "MCP", "definition": "Model Context Protocol, a protocol for connecting applications with tools and related capabilities. Durable logging depends on the implementation.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "tool-call", "agent" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#mcp", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record protocol revision, tool identifiers, arguments, and results where available. The protocol defines interactions, but durable audit records and permission enforcement depend on the particular client and server implementation.", "sources": [ "mcp" ] }, { "id": "media-lineage", "name": "Media lineage", "definition": "Documented relationships among source, edited, generated, and distributed media versions.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#media-lineage", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A screenshot, repost, and original file can depict similar content while having different histories. Identify each object and link transitions to evidence, leaving unsupported relationships explicitly unresolved.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "message-identifier", "name": "Message identifier", "definition": "An application-defined value used to refer to a message.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#message-identifier", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Use it to connect exports, attachments, and branch records when the source supports that relationship. Identifier order need not represent time, and the same-looking value may have different scopes across platforms.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "metadata", "name": "Metadata", "definition": "Data describing properties or context of another object or record. It can be incomplete, altered, or assigned by a later workflow.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "timestamp", "transformation-history" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#metadata", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve raw values and identify their producer. A camera label, export time, or account identifier can be useful without being infallible; compare consequential interpretations with independent source records.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "model-adapter", "name": "Model adapter", "definition": "A component that modifies or supplements a model's behavior without necessarily replacing all base weights.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#model-adapter", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve the adapter, base-model identifier, and loading configuration where accessible. A deployment can combine components dynamically, so an adapter file alone does not establish which configuration produced a particular response.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "model-attribution", "name": "Model attribution", "definition": "An assessment linking evidence to a model, version, family, or deployment, with the level and uncertainty made explicit.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "attribution", "model-lineage" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#model-attribution", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Test known alternatives and sources outside the candidate set. A classifier forced to choose one listed model can return a confident label even when another model produced the object.", "sources": [ "aiRmf" ], "significance": "Style similarity and self-reported model names need independent support.", "method": "/methods/attribution/" }, { "id": "model-checkpoint", "name": "Model checkpoint", "definition": "A saved model state associated with a point in training or adaptation.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#model-checkpoint", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A checkpoint label may describe a stage without uniquely identifying its bytes. Preserve hashes and training records where available, and distinguish a locally acquired checkpoint from a service's advertised model name.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "model-configuration", "name": "Model configuration", "definition": "Settings defining how a model is instantiated or used in a deployment.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#model-configuration", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Architecture settings, sampling rules, and enabled components can affect outputs. Preserve actual configuration rather than relying on a product label, and identify which settings were documented versus recovered from the examined environment.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "model-forensics", "name": "Model forensics", "definition": "Examination of evidence about model identity, configuration, lineage, integrity, and modification in a deployment.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "fine-tuning", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#model-forensics", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Collect accessible weights, adapters, configuration, runtime records, and deployment identifiers. Explain the evidence available for identity and lineage separately from any behavioral conclusions drawn from test outputs.", "sources": [ "aiRmf" ] }, { "id": "model-lineage", "name": "Model lineage", "definition": "The documented relationships between a model and its predecessors, modifications, adapters, or derived deployments.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-provenance", "fine-tuning" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#model-lineage", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Trace documented predecessors and adaptations without treating similar output style as ancestry. Record unknown relationships and distinguish a vendor’s stated lineage from file-level comparisons or reproducible training evidence.", "sources": [ "aiRmf" ] }, { "id": "model-provenance", "name": "Model provenance", "definition": "Recorded information about a model’s sources, lineage, modifications, distribution, and deployment history.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-lineage", "provenance" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#model-provenance", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Trace the documented base model, adaptations, and deployed components. Labels and release notes are sources of claims, while acquired files and hashes can support more specific integrity comparisons.", "sources": [ "aiRmf" ] }, { "id": "model-version", "name": "Model version", "definition": "A label or identifier used to distinguish a model release or deployment state.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#model-version", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A vendor can update behavior behind a stable label. Record dates, available revision identifiers, and supporting service records, and avoid treating an output's style as a reliable substitute for version evidence.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "model-weights", "name": "Model weights", "definition": "Numerical parameters used by a model in its computations.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#model-weights", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A preserved weight file can support an identity and integrity comparison. Record format, digest, and surrounding configuration, since the same weights can behave differently under different runtimes, prompts, or adaptation components.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "multi-factor-authentication", "name": "Multi-factor authentication", "definition": "Authentication requiring factors from more than one defined category.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#multi-factor-authentication", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the actual factor checks when examining access. The label does not by itself prove who operated a session or prevent every compromise, and a later session can persist beyond the original authentication event.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "multimodal", "name": "Multimodal", "definition": "Involving more than one data modality, such as text, image, audio, or video, within a system or workflow.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "generative-ai" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#multimodal", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Identify which modality carries each observation. A text transcript, image attachment, and audio stream can be related while differing in timing, retained context, and what the model actually received.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "negative-prompt", "name": "Negative prompt", "definition": "An input describing features a generation system is asked to avoid.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#negative-prompt", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It can help explain intended conditioning but not necessarily the final output. Preserve its relationship to the actual generation request, and distinguish it from later image analysis or a user's explanation of intent.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "network-request", "name": "Network request", "definition": "An attempted or observed exchange with a network destination under a protocol.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#network-request", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A request can be redirected, retried, or rejected. Preserve destination, timing, identifiers, and response context while protecting secrets; network contact alone does not establish successful transfer of a particular object.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "observation", "name": "Observation", "definition": "What was directly found or measured in an examined source, identified without adding an unstated interpretation.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "interpretation", "corroboration" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#observation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Use precise source references and raw values. State that an export contains a named field before interpreting what the field means or attributing the recorded action to a person.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "operator-attribution", "name": "Operator attribution", "definition": "An assessment connecting a system's activity to the person or organization controlling it.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#operator-attribution", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It requires evidence beyond a depicted face, voice resemblance, or account label. State the supported level and alternatives, especially when automation, delegation, or account compromise could explain the observed event.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "origin-claim", "name": "Origin claim", "definition": "A statement about where an object, record, or event came from.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#origin-claim", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Specify whether it concerns camera capture, model generation, account export, or distribution. Those propositions require different evidence, and one supported origin statement cannot automatically settle the others.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "outpainting", "name": "Outpainting", "definition": "Generating image content beyond an existing image boundary.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#outpainting", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A wider version can include invented surroundings while preserving an original center. Identify the acquired versions and expansion records so that the added scene is not interpreted as evidence of what the camera captured.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "overfitting", "name": "Overfitting", "definition": "Learning or tuning that fits particular data patterns without adequate generalization.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#overfitting", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A detector can perform well on its development corpus and poorly after new compression or generator changes. Evaluate relevant held-out conditions and avoid equating one strong benchmark with dependable performance everywhere.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "parent-message", "name": "Parent message", "definition": "A message linked as a predecessor in an application's conversation structure.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#parent-message", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A parent link can reveal branches that a flattened transcript hides. Validate the application's semantics and preserve the original relationship before arranging messages into one apparently continuous exchange.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "parent-process", "name": "Parent process", "definition": "A process identified as creating or launching another process under operating-system semantics.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#parent-process", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A parent relationship helps reconstruct execution but may be affected by wrappers or reparenting. Record the relevant platform and timing before equating the process tree with the agent's complete delegation structure.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "perceptual-hash", "name": "Perceptual hash", "definition": "A compact representation intended to compare similarity under a particular perceptual method.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#perceptual-hash", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It can help locate related images after resizing, but it is not an integrity digest. Record thresholds and check candidate matches manually or with independent comparisons before claiming two items share a source.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "permission-boundary", "name": "Permission boundary", "definition": "A limit separating actions an actor or process is authorized to perform.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#permission-boundary", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the effective permissions for the examined interval. A successful operation may use a service account or delegated token, so its occurrence does not automatically establish that a human user had the same access.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "persistence", "name": "Persistence", "definition": "Retention or survival of a record across actions or state changes under specified conditions; it requires environment-specific testing.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synchronization", "sqlite-wal" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#persistence", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Test creation, closure, deletion, and synchronization under a recorded environment. A record surviving one condition does not establish that it survives every platform version or retention setting.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "precision", "name": "Precision", "definition": "The proportion of positive classifications that are correct within a defined evaluation population.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#precision", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Precision changes with class prevalence and the decision threshold. State the population and counts so readers do not confuse it with sensitivity or assume a published value transfers unchanged to another setting.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "presentation-attack", "name": "Presentation attack", "definition": "An attempt to mislead a biometric or identity-check system through a presented artifact.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#presentation-attack", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A printed face, replayed recording, and generated video are different conditions. Evaluate the actual mechanism and source records before assigning a detector alert a specific attack type or operator.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "preservation", "name": "Preservation", "definition": "Documented measures to reduce evidence alteration or loss, while recording unavoidable effects and handling.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "chain-of-custody" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#preservation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Prioritize relevant volatile sources and limit unnecessary change. Record protective measures and unavoidable effects rather than claiming that collection left an active application or remote service completely untouched.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "process-identifier", "name": "Process identifier", "definition": "An operating-system identifier associated with a process during a bounded context.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#process-identifier", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Identifiers can be reused. Pair them with host, start time, parent process, and collection context when linking commands to agent activity rather than assuming a numeric match uniquely identifies one historical process.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "prompt", "name": "Prompt", "definition": "Input supplied to an AI-enabled system at a particular interaction point. It may not include all context presented to the model.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "prompt-history", "context-window" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#prompt", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve the exact recorded input and its source. The user-visible prompt may exclude application instructions or retrieval context, so do not assume it alone explains the response.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "prompt-history", "name": "Prompt history", "definition": "Available records of prompts over an interaction or set of sessions, potentially excluding edits, deleted material, or inaccessible context.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "prompt", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#prompt-history", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Inspect edits and branches when the format provides them. A list of current prompts can omit earlier versions, and retained order may reflect export formatting rather than the complete historical sequence.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "prompt-injection", "name": "Prompt injection", "definition": "Input that attempts to redirect an AI system through instructions outside the intended control channel.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#prompt-injection", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A suspicious instruction in a document supports an input observation, not a confirmed causal effect. Compare subsequent actions, permissions, and independent system records before concluding that the instruction changed the workflow.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "prompt-reconstruction", "name": "Prompt reconstruction", "definition": "An evidence-based effort to recover or connect recorded inputs and their context without inventing missing text.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "prompt-history", "timeline-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#prompt-reconstruction", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Recover available records and relationships without guessing missing wording. Explain which text is directly acquired, which is a summary, and which contextual inputs remain inaccessible.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "prompt-template", "name": "Prompt template", "definition": "A reusable structure used to assemble an input from fixed and variable parts.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#prompt-template", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record both the template version and supplied values when available. The template alone does not establish the exact model input, particularly when retrieved material or system instructions are added later.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "prov-activity", "name": "PROV activity", "definition": "An action or process represented as acting on or producing entities in the PROV model.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#prov-activity", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Extraction and redaction can be separate activities with different effects. Describe their inputs, outputs, and conditions so that a reader can understand which transformation supports each derived observation.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "prov-agent", "name": "PROV agent", "definition": "A person, organization, or software participant associated with responsibility in the PROV model.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#prov-agent", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A PROV agent is broader than an autonomous AI agent. Label the role precisely so a graph does not confuse a signing service, human examiner, and AI tool-running process.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "prov-entity", "name": "PROV entity", "definition": "A thing represented in the W3C PROV model as the subject of provenance relationships.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#prov-entity", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An acquired export and a normalized timeline can be separate entities. Naming both makes the derivation inspectable and prevents the analysis product from being confused with the original application record.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "provenance", "name": "Provenance", "definition": "Information about origin, derivation, handling, and transformations, represented through records or assertions whose reliability must be assessed.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "digital-provenance", "provenance-gap" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#provenance", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Ask who recorded each relationship and what supports it. A complete-looking diagram can contain unsupported assertions, while a partial but well-documented history can still answer a bounded question.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "provenance-assertion", "name": "Provenance assertion", "definition": "A statement about an object's origin, handling, or transformation.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#provenance-assertion", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An application can assert that an image was edited by a named tool. Check the assertion's source, binding, and corroboration rather than treating its presence or signature as self-validating proof of the whole workflow.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "provenance-gap", "name": "Provenance gap", "definition": "An interval or relationship in an asserted history that is undocumented, inaccessible, unsupported, or unverifiable.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "transformation-history" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#provenance-gap", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Identify the missing relationship and its effect on the proposition. The absence of one export record can reflect retention or unavailable access rather than proving an event did not occur.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "provenance-graph", "name": "Provenance graph", "definition": "A graph representing entities, activities, agents, and their asserted history relationships.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#provenance-graph", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Connect an image to an edit activity and its inputs while marking which edges are supported. A well-formed graph remains an account of claims; missing evidence should not be filled with assumed history.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "public-key", "name": "Public key", "definition": "A shareable key used in specified cryptographic verification or encryption operations.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#public-key", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A public key can verify a signature, but its association with a person or organization needs a trust basis. Record where that association comes from rather than inferring identity from successful mathematics alone.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "quantization", "name": "Quantization", "definition": "Representation of model values with a reduced or altered numerical precision.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#quantization", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It can change resource use and behavior. Record the format, conversion tool, and resulting files when comparing deployments, because a quantized derivative is not necessarily behaviorally interchangeable with the original weights.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "race-condition", "name": "Race condition", "definition": "Behavior influenced by the relative timing of concurrent operations.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#race-condition", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Two tasks can observe different states while both records are accurate. Preserve ordering constraints and timing uncertainty, and test the actual environment before assigning a contradiction to tampering or an agent's reasoning failure.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "read-only-access", "name": "Read-only access", "definition": "An access mode designed to prevent specified write operations.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#read-only-access", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A read-only filesystem view limits one type of change. It does not guarantee that a running application, remote account, or storage controller remains unchanged; explain the scope of the protection used.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "reality-model-drift", "name": "Reality-model drift", "definition": "A project working term for a hypothesized change in a person’s understanding of events after information exposure; not an established diagnosis or measured AI effect.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "source-monitoring-error", "authenticity-calibration" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#reality-model-drift", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Describe the hypothesized change and the evidence needed to test it. Avoid using the label to diagnose a person or claiming that one interaction demonstrates a causal AI effect.", "sources": [ "sourceMonitoring" ], "significance": "Do not turn a conceptual label into a clinical finding or a claim of validated causation.", "method": "/methods/confidence/" }, { "id": "recall", "name": "Recall", "definition": "The proportion of relevant positive cases identified under a defined evaluation; often equivalent to sensitivity.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#recall", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Explain the target class and denominator. A retrieval task and a synthetic-media detection task can both report recall while measuring different propositions, so compare results only when their definitions and conditions align.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "receiver-operating-characteristic", "name": "Receiver operating characteristic", "definition": "A curve comparing true-positive and false-positive rates across decision thresholds.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#receiver-operating-characteristic", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It describes threshold behavior under a test population. A favorable curve does not select a case-appropriate threshold or determine alert precision without relevant prevalence and operational consequences.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "redaction", "name": "Redaction", "definition": "Removal or concealment of selected information in a disclosed derivative.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#redaction", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Publish a redacted log while retaining the protected source under appropriate controls. Explain the categories removed and whether the omissions affect reproducibility, without revealing the sensitive values in the explanation.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "regeneration", "name": "Regeneration", "definition": "A request or process that produces another response for an interaction point. It may create alternatives rather than overwrite a single event.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "branch", "response-revision" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#regeneration", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A second response can create an alternative branch rather than replace the first. Keep both when available and distinguish generation order from the version selected for display or later use.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "replay-attack", "name": "Replay attack", "definition": "Reuse of a recorded or captured interaction to satisfy a check or impersonate a fresh event.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#replay-attack", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A repeated voice recording can differ from newly synthesized speech while causing a similar identity problem. Preserve challenge timing and session context so the analysis tests the actual verification mechanism.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "reproducibility", "name": "Reproducibility", "definition": "The ability to repeat documented consequential steps and assess whether their results hold under stated conditions and access limits.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "validation", "derived-evidence" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#reproducibility", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Provide enough inputs, versions, steps, and conditions to repeat consequential work. When private evidence or unavailable cloud state prevents repetition, explain the constraint and what can still be independently checked.", "sources": [ "nist86" ], "significance": "State conditions, inputs, versions, controls, and access constraints, including failed repetitions.", "method": "/methods/reporting/" }, { "id": "response-revision", "name": "Response revision", "definition": "A change to a recorded response or its representation, made by a person, a system, or a further generation step.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "regeneration", "branch" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#response-revision", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Identify whether the change came from editing, a new generation, or presentation processing. Preserve the versions and their links before interpreting differences as a change in the underlying interaction.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "retention-policy", "name": "Retention policy", "definition": "Rules describing how long a system keeps particular categories of information.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#retention-policy", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A service can retain audit events longer than message text. Check the relevant category and date, and distinguish the written policy from observed implementation and the account's actual settings.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "retrieval-query", "name": "Retrieval query", "definition": "The input used to request material from a search or retrieval system.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#retrieval-query", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It can differ from the user's visible question after rewriting or decomposition. Preserve query records where available so the reconstruction explains what was actually searched instead of assuming a direct verbatim lookup.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "retrieval-augmented-generation", "name": "Retrieval-augmented generation", "definition": "A workflow that supplies retrieved material to a model’s input context. Retrieved content and retrieval records can be distinct evidence sources.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "embedding", "context-window" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#retrieval-augmented-generation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve retrieved versions, queries, and supplied excerpts when available. A document returned by retrieval may be truncated or excluded before generation, so return records do not alone establish full model exposure.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "retrieved-document", "name": "Retrieved document", "definition": "Material returned by a retrieval process for potential use in an interaction.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#retrieved-document", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Returned content may be filtered, truncated, or unused. Identify the retrieved version and any supplied excerpt before asserting that a full document influenced the model's response.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "retry", "name": "Retry", "definition": "Another attempt at an operation after a failure, timeout, or chosen repetition.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#retry", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A timed-out call can still complete externally before a retry. Compare request identifiers and target-state records to avoid counting repeated attempts as separate intended actions or assuming only one effect occurred.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "revocation", "name": "Revocation", "definition": "A recorded withdrawal of a certificate, key, or credential's accepted status.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#revocation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Interpret it within the applicable system and time. A current revoked status does not by itself specify whether an earlier signature was valid when created, or why the issuing authority changed the status.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "sample-rate", "name": "Sample rate", "definition": "The number of signal samples represented per second.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#sample-rate", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An exported recording can have a different sample rate from its source. Document resampling and duration handling before comparing timing or frequency measurements across versions, especially when a pipeline performs conversions automatically.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "sampler", "name": "Sampler", "definition": "An algorithm used to obtain an output from a model's generative process.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#sampler", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Different samplers can change an image even with similar other settings. Preserve the named algorithm and version when available, and test reproduction within the recorded environment instead of inferring it from appearance.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "sampling-steps", "name": "Sampling steps", "definition": "A configured number of iterative steps in a generation procedure.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#sampling-steps", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "The meaning depends on the algorithm and implementation. Include it with the other settings in a generation record; an undocumented step count cannot establish image quality, provenance, or whether the output is authentic.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "sandbox", "name": "Sandbox", "definition": "An environment designed to constrain a process's access or effects.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#sandbox", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "The restrictions depend on implementation and configuration. Document what was isolated and what external access remained available rather than treating the label as proof that no network, filesystem, or account changes were possible.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "semantic-similarity", "name": "Semantic similarity", "definition": "A method-dependent measure of related meaning or representation.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#semantic-similarity", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Two passages can be highly similar without one copying the other. Explain the representation, threshold, and alternatives before using similarity to support source attribution, plagiarism, or a shared generation-history claim.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "sensitivity", "name": "Sensitivity", "definition": "The proportion of known positive cases classified positive under a defined test.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#sensitivity", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Report the positive class, denominator, threshold, and input conditions. High sensitivity can coexist with many false alerts in a low-prevalence population, so it does not alone describe the reliability of an individual alert.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "session", "name": "Session", "definition": "An application-defined interval or context of activity. Session boundaries and retained state vary by system.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "synchronization" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#session", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Use the application’s actual boundaries and identifiers. A browser session, account session, and conversation session can overlap without being the same interval or retaining the same information.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "session-token", "name": "Session token", "definition": "A value used by an application to associate requests with a session or access context.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#session-token", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Treat it as a credential rather than public evidence text. Record necessary identifiers or protected hashes under the applicable method, and distinguish possession of the token from independently established personal identity.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "sessionstorage", "name": "SessionStorage", "definition": "Browser key-value storage scoped to an origin and a page session.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#sessionstorage", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "State can disappear when the relevant session ends. Document collection timing and tab context, and distinguish it from application-defined conversation sessions, which can have different boundaries and persistence.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "sha-256", "name": "SHA-256", "definition": "A cryptographic hash algorithm producing a 256-bit digest, useful for comparing acquired bytes with a documented reference.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "integrity", "chain-of-custody" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#sha-256", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the exact object and digest at collection and transfer. The hash supports integrity comparisons of bytes; it does not prove camera origin, identify an author, or validate a statement in the file.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "sidecar-file", "name": "Sidecar file", "definition": "A separate file carrying metadata or related information for another object.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#sidecar-file", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A provenance sidecar can be separated during copying. Preserve both files and their linkage, and verify the association rather than assuming that similarly named files describe the same acquired asset.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "signer", "name": "Signer", "definition": "The entity or key holder associated with a cryptographic signing operation.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#signer", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Identify the certificate or key and applicable trust policy. The signing identity may describe a service or device rather than the human creator, and a signed statement still needs factual support.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "signing-key", "name": "Signing key", "definition": "A cryptographic key used to produce signatures under a specified algorithm.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#signing-key", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Protect secret key material and document only necessary public verification context. A signature's integrity check does not establish exclusive historical control of the key without additional evidence about its handling and compromise status.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "slack-space", "name": "Slack space", "definition": "Unused bytes inside an allocated storage unit beyond an object's logical content.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#slack-space", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Residual bytes can sometimes appear in a unit's slack. Explain the storage layout and collection method before interpreting them, since different filesystems and storage technologies retain different kinds of residue.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "sockpuppet-account", "name": "Sockpuppet account", "definition": "An account used to present a separate apparent participant while concealing common control.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-identity", "attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#sockpuppet-account", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Similar names or opinions are not enough to establish common control. Compare independently acquired account activity and infrastructure evidence, considering shared services or legitimate collaboration as alternatives.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "soft-binding", "name": "Soft binding", "definition": "A method for associating provenance with content through a representation tolerant of specified changes.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#soft-binding", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It can help locate provenance after a content transformation. Matching depends on the scheme and tested conditions, so document the method and possible ambiguous matches instead of treating it like exact hash equality.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "source-attribution", "name": "Source attribution", "definition": "An evidence-supported association between an object or event and a stated source, with alternatives and uncertainty documented.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "attribution", "model-attribution" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#source-attribution", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Name the level supported: application, account, model family, or person. A service record can support one level while leaving others unresolved, even when the final output looks distinctive.", "sources": [ "prov" ], "significance": "Report the supported level and retain unknown-source alternatives.", "method": "/methods/attribution/" }, { "id": "source-memory", "name": "Source memory", "definition": "Remembered information about where encountered content came from.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#source-memory", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A study can compare source judgments with documented presentation conditions. It cannot infer an AI-specific memory effect from one person's account alone; distinguish measured judgments from broader causal or clinical claims.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "source-monitoring-error", "name": "Source-monitoring error", "definition": "An incorrect attribution of information or recollection to its source, such as confusing encountered content with an experienced event.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-imprinting", "human-ai-interaction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#source-monitoring-error", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A study can ask whether participants attribute a presented statement to a generated source or an experienced event. Define the task and comparison before interpreting an incorrect source judgment.", "sources": [ "sourceMonitoring" ], "significance": "A digital exposure record is distinct from evidence that exposure caused a particular recollection.", "method": "/methods/corroboration/" }, { "id": "speaker-verification", "name": "Speaker verification", "definition": "Testing whether a voice sample matches a stated enrolled speaker under defined conditions.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#speaker-verification", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A match depends on the method, sample quality, enrollment, and error conditions. Synthetic and replayed speech complicate the interpretation; report the tested claim without converting a score into certain personal identity.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "specificity", "name": "Specificity", "definition": "The proportion of known negative cases classified negative under a defined test.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#specificity", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A specificity estimate depends on what the negative class contains. Ordinary editing, screenshots, or unknown sources may differ from the tested negatives, changing how a result applies to an acquired object.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "spectrogram", "name": "Spectrogram", "definition": "A visual representation of signal energy across time and frequency under a specified transform.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#spectrogram", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the window, overlap, scale, and preprocessing. A striking pattern may reflect compression or background conditions; the graphic is a measurement view, not an automatic explanation of how the audio was created.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "speech-to-speech-conversion", "name": "Speech-to-speech conversion", "definition": "Transformation of spoken input into another speech representation.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#speech-to-speech-conversion", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A converted voice may preserve wording or rhythm while altering speaker characteristics. Compare the input, output, and conversion context, and separate speaker resemblance from the question of who produced or distributed the recording.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "sqlite-wal", "name": "SQLite WAL", "definition": "SQLite’s write-ahead log, which can hold committed database changes before checkpointing. Its forensic significance depends on acquisition consistency and application use.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "persistence", "acquisition" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#sqlite-wal", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Collect related database files consistently under the tested conditions. Opening or stopping an application can trigger checkpoint behavior, so document those actions before interpreting the acquired database and log together.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "standard-error", "name": "Standard error", "definition": "The stream conventionally used by a process for diagnostic output.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#standard-error", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Programs can use it for warnings or progress as well as failures. Interpret it with exit status and tool documentation rather than treating any output on this stream as a failed operation.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "standard-output", "name": "Standard output", "definition": "The stream conventionally used by a process for ordinary output.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#standard-output", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It can contain results, progress, or arbitrary text. Preserve it with execution context and distinguish it from a validated target-system observation, especially when a script reports what it intended to do.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "stop-sequence", "name": "Stop sequence", "definition": "A configured sequence that can end generation under an interface's rules.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#stop-sequence", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A response ending abruptly may reflect a stop rule, a limit, an error, or a presentation issue. Compare the request and completion status before interpreting the missing remainder as a deliberate omission.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "streaming-response", "name": "Streaming response", "definition": "Output delivered incrementally instead of as one completed object.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#streaming-response", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A captured stream can include partial content that differs from the final retained response. Keep event order and completion markers, and distinguish network chunks from meaningful message or sentence boundaries.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "super-resolution", "name": "Super-resolution", "definition": "Reconstruction of a higher-resolution representation from lower-resolution material using a model or method.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#super-resolution", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "The result can contain plausible detail unsupported by the source. Label it as a derivative and evaluate consequential interpretations against the original rather than presenting recovered-looking pixels as direct evidence.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "supply-chain-provenance", "name": "Supply chain provenance", "definition": "Information about the sources, dependencies, and transformations involved in producing software or another artifact.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#supply-chain-provenance", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A build record can connect a tool release to dependencies and source inputs. It supports a production-history question, while the correctness and forensic suitability of that tool still need separate evaluation.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "synchronization", "name": "Synchronization", "definition": "Transfer or reconciliation of state across systems or devices, potentially propagating changes, deletions, or conflicts.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "session", "persistence" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#synchronization", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Compare device and service events instead of assuming immediate agreement. A deletion or edit can propagate later, leaving apparently contradictory snapshots that reflect different states rather than false records.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "synthetic-artifact", "name": "Synthetic artifact", "definition": "An object produced or modified through a synthetic or AI-assisted process; its evidentiary meaning depends on source and context.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "ai-artifact", "synthetic-evidence" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#synthetic-artifact", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve an output image and its generation record as separate objects. Their relationship can help explain creation, while the image alone may say little about the inputs or later changes.", "sources": [ "nist86" ], "significance": "Separate the generated object from the records that connect it to creation or modification.", "method": "/methods/metadata/" }, { "id": "synthetic-evidence", "name": "Synthetic evidence", "definition": "Evidence relating to synthetic content or an AI-assisted workflow. The term does not, by itself, mean the evidence was fabricated.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "ai-evidence", "synthetic-media" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#synthetic-evidence", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Specify whether the object is generated content or a record about synthesis. An authentic service log of an AI event should not be called fabricated merely because the event involved synthetic media.", "sources": [ "nist86" ], "significance": "Avoid labeling an authentic application record false merely because its subject is synthetic.", "method": "/methods/evaluating-synthetic-evidence/" }, { "id": "synthetic-forensics", "name": "Synthetic forensics", "definition": "Synthetic forensics is the systematic identification, preservation, examination, reconstruction, and interpretation of digital evidence involving artificial intelligence systems, synthetic media, AI-generated artifacts, and human-AI interactions.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "interaction-forensics", "provenance" ], "related_page": "/what-is-synthetic-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#synthetic-forensics", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Begin with a testable proposition and preserve relevant sources before interpretation. The field includes media examination, application artifacts, interactions, agents, models, identity, and provenance rather than relying on one detection score.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "synthetic-identity", "name": "Synthetic identity", "definition": "A generated or manipulated representation of identity, potentially combining invented details with elements associated with real people.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "identity-fusion", "impersonation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#synthetic-identity", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Examine the representation and its account relationships separately. A composite profile may borrow a photograph while inventing a biography; neither element alone identifies the operator behind it.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "synthetic-imprinting", "name": "Synthetic imprinting", "definition": "A related-project working concept for studying how exposure to synthetic information may influence later source judgments or understanding.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "source-monitoring-error", "authenticity-calibration" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#synthetic-imprinting", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Use the term to frame a research question, with defined exposure and comparison conditions. It is a project concept rather than an established clinical condition or evidence of a particular person being influenced.", "sources": [ "sourceMonitoring" ], "significance": "Use consent, operational measures, controls, and source records for any empirical study.", "method": "/methods/confidence/" }, { "id": "synthetic-media", "name": "Synthetic media", "definition": "Media generated or modified through computational synthesis, including AI-generated or AI-assisted image, audio, video, and text.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "deepfake", "voice-cloning" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#synthetic-media", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Assess the acquired version and its transformation history. An original generated image, an edited derivative, and a screenshot can require different tests even when they depict the same scene.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic" ], "significance": "Choose examination methods for the actual modality and transformation conditions.", "method": "/methods/ai-detection-limitations/" }, { "id": "synthetic-media-forensics", "name": "Synthetic media forensics", "definition": "Examination of media that may have been generated or altered by AI, together with evidence of its creation and transformation.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "content-provenance" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#synthetic-media-forensics", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Combine content measurements with source and workflow evidence. Explain the input conditions under which a method was validated, especially when the examined file has been compressed, resized, or re-recorded.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "system-instruction", "name": "System instruction", "definition": "An instruction supplied by the application or runtime to shape an AI interaction.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#system-instruction", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It may be absent from a user-visible export. Preserve available configuration and describe missing context before attributing a response solely to the user's displayed prompt or assuming the instruction remained constant.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "task-graph", "name": "Task graph", "definition": "A representation of task dependencies, delegation, and completion relationships.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#task-graph", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A child task can finish before its parent incorporates the result. Preserve identifiers and timing constraints so the graph does not confuse dispatched work with an accepted result or completed external operation.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "temperature", "name": "Temperature", "definition": "A sampling parameter affecting how a generation system selects among candidate outputs.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#temperature", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Its meaning depends on the implementation and interacting settings. A low value is not a guarantee of identical output, factual accuracy, or evidentiary reliability; document conditions when testing repeated responses.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "temporal-artifact", "name": "Temporal artifact", "definition": "A pattern or inconsistency observed across a sequence of media frames or samples.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#temporal-artifact", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An unusual transition may come from synthesis, editing, dropped frames, or decoding. Test the acquired sequence and processing history rather than assigning a cause from the anomaly alone.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "text-to-image-generation", "name": "Text-to-image generation", "definition": "Creation of image outputs from a textual input under a generation workflow.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#text-to-image-generation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A prompt can describe a scene without documenting all settings or later edits. Preserve the output, model context, generation parameters, and associated records where available rather than assuming prompt text fully specifies the image.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "text-to-speech", "name": "Text-to-speech", "definition": "Conversion of text into spoken audio through a speech-generation system.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#text-to-speech", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "The supplied text and generated audio are distinct evidence objects. Pronunciation, pauses, and later edits can differ from the script; preserve both when reconstructing what was created and what listeners received.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "timeline-reconstruction", "name": "Timeline reconstruction", "definition": "An evidence-referenced arrangement of events and temporal relationships with clock assumptions, gaps, and uncertainty documented.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "timestamp-normalization", "correlation" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#timeline-reconstruction", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Retain raw time values, timezone assumptions, and uncertainty. Use event identifiers and causal constraints where available, since sorting displayed timestamps alone can misorder asynchronous actions.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "timestamp", "name": "Timestamp", "definition": "A recorded time value whose format, clock, event meaning, timezone, and resolution require verification.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "timestamp-normalization", "timeline-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#timestamp", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the raw value, event meaning, clock, timezone, and precision. A displayed date can reflect import or modification, and sorting it without those details can produce an incorrect event sequence.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "timestamp-authority", "name": "Timestamp authority", "definition": "A service that signs a time-related statement under a stated protocol and policy.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#timestamp-authority", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A trusted timestamp can support when particular data existed under the scheme. It does not directly establish when the depicted event occurred or when an unsupplied source asset was originally created.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "timestamp-normalization", "name": "Timestamp normalization", "definition": "Conversion of verified time representations into a comparison format while retaining the raw value and documenting assumptions.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "timestamp", "timeline-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#timestamp-normalization", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Keep original values alongside the conversion. State timezone and offset assumptions and represent uncertainty, especially when comparing service events with local clocks that may drift or have different resolution.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "token", "name": "Token", "definition": "A unit into which a model or tokenizer divides input or output for processing.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#token", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Token boundaries vary by tokenizer and do not map one-to-one to words. Record the tokenizer and relevant representation when comparing limits, costs, or truncation; token counts alone do not establish semantic content.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "tokenization", "name": "Tokenization", "definition": "Conversion of content into the units used by a particular model interface or tokenizer.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#tokenization", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "The same text can produce different units across systems. Preserve the original content and named tokenizer so a reported count or boundary can be reproduced rather than inferred from another model's behavior.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "tombstone", "name": "Tombstone", "definition": "A retained marker indicating that an object or record was deleted or superseded.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#tombstone", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A synchronization tombstone may carry an identifier without message content. It can support a deletion-state observation but does not reconstruct the missing message or necessarily identify the person who removed it.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "tool-call", "name": "Tool call", "definition": "A recorded request to a tool with particular arguments and execution context. A request alone does not establish the external effect.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "corroboration" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#tool-call", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Separate the request, the returned result, and the observed effect. A file-writing call can fail after partial work or report completion before a separate system reflects the change.", "sources": [ "mcp" ] }, { "id": "tool-invocation", "name": "Tool invocation", "definition": "An actual request to run a named tool with supplied arguments and context.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#tool-invocation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Distinguish the invocation from a model's suggested command. Preserve execution identifiers and outcomes, because even an issued call can fail, time out, or complete only part of the requested work.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "tool-result", "name": "Tool result", "definition": "Information returned from a tool invocation.", "field": "agent-forensics", "related_terms": [ "agent", "tool-call" ], "related_page": "/fields/agent-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#tool-result", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A success-looking message can describe an intermediate operation rather than final external state. Check the tool contract and target system, and retain errors or partial results alongside the displayed response.", "sources": [ "mcp", "owaspPromptInjection", "nist86" ] }, { "id": "top-p-sampling", "name": "Top-p sampling", "definition": "A generation rule that restricts candidate choices using a cumulative probability threshold.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#top-p-sampling", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "It affects output selection within a configured system. Preserve the actual setting and other sampling parameters rather than inferring them from writing style or assuming that one parameter fully explains variation.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "training-data", "name": "Training data", "definition": "Material used to fit a model during a training process.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#training-data", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An output that resembles a source does not by itself prove that source was in the training set. Use documented datasets and appropriately validated tests, keeping source membership separate from similarity or memorization hypotheses.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "training-run", "name": "Training run", "definition": "A particular execution of model training under defined inputs and conditions.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#training-run", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Preserve logs, configuration, checkpoints, and environment where available. A final model cannot automatically reconstruct all choices made during training, so state which aspects of the run are evidenced and which remain unknown.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "transaction", "name": "Transaction", "definition": "A database unit of work that is committed or rolled back together under stated rules.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#transaction", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Several message updates can belong to one transaction. A visible log entry may describe a step before commitment, so check durable state and transaction semantics before counting it as a completed change.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "transcoding", "name": "Transcoding", "definition": "Conversion of media to another encoding or container, potentially changing metadata and method-specific signals.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "transformation-history", "synthetic-media" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#transcoding", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Retain the input, output, codec, and settings where possible. Conversion can alter timing, metadata, and detection signals even if the content looks unchanged, requiring tests appropriate to the acquired derivative.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "transformation-history", "name": "Transformation history", "definition": "A documented sequence of operations that changed an object or its representation, such as editing, transcoding, or export.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "content-provenance", "transcoding" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#transformation-history", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Give every consequential derivative an identifier and a documented input relationship. Record editing, conversion, redaction, and export so that altered signals are not assigned to the original object.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "trust-anchor", "name": "Trust anchor", "definition": "A key or certificate accepted as a starting point for a validation policy.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#trust-anchor", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Two examiners can reach different trust outcomes if their anchors differ. Preserve the relevant policy and versions so the report explains why a signer was accepted rather than describing trust as universal.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "trust-store", "name": "Trust store", "definition": "A configured set of trusted certificates or keys used by a validation process. Its contents and policy influence interpretation.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "cryptographic-signature", "assertion" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#trust-store", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the anchors, version, and validation policy used. Different stores can produce different outcomes, so a signature’s accepted status should be described under explicit conditions rather than as universal trust.", "sources": [ "prov" ] }, { "id": "trusted-timestamp", "name": "Trusted timestamp", "definition": "A time statement whose verification relies on a defined authority, signature, and policy.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#trusted-timestamp", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the token, verification software, and trust conditions. Keep ordinary filesystem timestamps separate, because those values have different origins and do not gain the timestamp authority's assurances through proximity.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "unallocated-space", "name": "Unallocated space", "definition": "Storage regions not currently assigned to active filesystem objects.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#unallocated-space", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Fragments can survive there under some conditions. Their presence, absence, and recoverability depend on storage behavior, overwrite activity, and acquisition scope; an empty search does not establish that a file never existed.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "unknown-source-rejection", "name": "Unknown-source rejection", "definition": "A method's ability to withhold a known-source classification when the source is outside its supported set.", "field": "model-forensics", "related_terms": [ "model-forensics", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/model-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#unknown-source-rejection", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Test unknown generators and ordinary alternatives separately. A classifier forced to choose a listed model can produce a confident but unsupported attribution even when none of the listed sources produced the object.", "sources": [ "aiRmf", "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "upload-event", "name": "Upload event", "definition": "A recorded action transferring an object to an application or service.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#upload-event", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "An upload confirmation can document transfer without proving the object was processed by a particular model. Compare attachment identifiers, processing status, and later references to establish the supported relationship.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "upscaling", "name": "Upscaling", "definition": "Increasing an image's dimensions through an interpolation or reconstruction process.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#upscaling", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A larger output may include newly inferred detail. Retain the smaller source and identify the upscaling method before treating a facial feature or text fragment in the enlarged version as an original observation.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "user-message", "name": "User message", "definition": "Content submitted in a user-role position within an interaction record.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#user-message", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Role identifies a position in the application's message structure, not necessarily the real person who authored every word. Uploaded quotations and copied instructions need source context before being interpreted as personal intent.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "validation", "name": "Validation", "definition": "Testing whether a method or interpretation works within defined conditions, using reproducible procedures and documented limitations.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "false-positive", "false-negative" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#validation", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Define the claim, reference labels, controls, and relevant input conditions before testing. Report failures and exclusions as well as successful cases, and avoid transferring results to untested platforms or transformations.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "vector-database", "name": "Vector database", "definition": "A system that stores and queries vector representations, often for similarity retrieval.", "field": "interaction-forensics", "related_terms": [ "human-ai-interaction", "prompt-reconstruction" ], "related_page": "/fields/interaction-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#vector-database", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A retrieved neighbor reflects the indexing and search method rather than factual agreement. Record embedding versions, filters, and retrieval context when evaluating why particular material entered an AI workflow.", "sources": [ "nist86", "nistSynthetic", "sourceMonitoring" ] }, { "id": "version-history", "name": "Version history", "definition": "Records connecting an object's revisions over time.", "field": "provenance-forensics", "related_terms": [ "provenance", "integrity" ], "related_page": "/fields/provenance-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#version-history", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A publication correction and a file re-encoding are different revisions. Preserve identifiers and reasons for consequential changes, making clear whether a history is complete or limited to versions retained by one service.", "sources": [ "prov", "c2pa", "hash" ] }, { "id": "voice-cloning", "name": "Voice cloning", "definition": "Synthesis or manipulation of a voice representation that resembles a particular speaker; resemblance alone does not identify an operator.", "field": "synthetic-identity-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "impersonation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-identity-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#voice-cloning", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Separate speaker resemblance from operator identity. Preserve the audio and available generation or session context, and evaluate synthetic, replayed, and ordinary voice alternatives under the actual recording conditions.", "sources": [ "nist86" ] }, { "id": "voice-conversion", "name": "Voice conversion", "definition": "Changing voice characteristics in an audio representation.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#voice-conversion", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Conversion can occur in a real-time call or in a saved file. Seek session and source records appropriate to the workflow, because a final clip may not reveal the timing or operator of the conversion.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "volatile-evidence", "name": "Volatile evidence", "definition": "Information that may change or disappear when a process, device, or service changes state.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#volatile-evidence", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A temporary tool result can disappear when an agent session closes. Preserve it under authorized conditions and record its relationship to durable files, without assuming every transient message reaches storage.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] }, { "id": "watermark", "name": "Watermark", "definition": "A scheme-dependent signal embedded in or associated with content to support a particular identification or labeling claim.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "content-credentials", "false-positive" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#watermark", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Name the scheme, detection method, and supported claim. A mark may indicate a system relationship under tested conditions; missing or detected marks do not by themselves resolve complete provenance or factual accuracy.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic" ] }, { "id": "waveform", "name": "Waveform", "definition": "A representation of signal amplitude over time.", "field": "synthetic-media-forensics", "related_terms": [ "synthetic-media", "validation" ], "related_page": "/fields/synthetic-media-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#waveform", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "A waveform can help locate edits or clipping but does not reveal every transformation. Keep the underlying audio and measurement settings so another examiner can reproduce the view and test alternative explanations.", "sources": [ "nistSynthetic", "c2pa" ] }, { "id": "write-blocker", "name": "Write blocker", "definition": "A mechanism intended to prevent writes through a specified storage interface.", "field": "ai-artifact-forensics", "related_terms": [ "acquisition", "observation" ], "related_page": "/fields/ai-artifact-forensics/", "url": "https://syntheticforensics.org/glossary/#write-blocker", "version": "1.1.0", "updated": "2026-10-09", "last_reviewed": null, "explanation": "Record the blocker, firmware, configuration, and validation checks. Its protection applies to the tested path, so it cannot by itself guarantee that a cloud service or another device leaves the source untouched.", "sources": [ "nist86", "sqlite" ] } ] }