- 01Creation
- 02Interaction
- 03Storage
- 04Synchronization
- 05Modification
- 06Export
- 07Sharing
- 08Acquisition
- 09Examination
Creation
| Consideration | Possible evidence behavior |
|---|---|
| Possible artifacts | Source assets, model selection, generation settings. |
| Possible modification | A generated or edited object may not retain its inputs. |
| Possible loss | Transient generation state may never be saved. |
| Independent corroborating sources | Creation-side logs or project records. |
Interaction
| Consideration | Possible evidence behavior |
|---|---|
| Possible artifacts | Messages, uploads, revisions, branches, tool results. |
| Possible modification | Context or messages can be changed between turns. |
| Possible loss | Regenerations and hidden context may be omitted. |
| Independent corroborating sources | Application records, attached file identifiers. |
Storage
| Consideration | Possible evidence behavior |
|---|---|
| Possible artifacts | Databases, caches, logs, local and remote files. |
| Possible modification | Application writes and schema migrations change representation. |
| Possible loss | Eviction, overwrite, or retention can remove records. |
| Independent corroborating sources | Filesystem metadata and independent backups. |
Synchronization
| Consideration | Possible evidence behavior |
|---|---|
| Possible artifacts | Sync markers, remote versions, device copies. |
| Possible modification | Conflict handling can replace or merge state. |
| Possible loss | Deletion can propagate; offline copies may differ. |
| Independent corroborating sources | Multiple device acquisitions and service records. |
Modification
| Consideration | Possible evidence behavior |
|---|---|
| Possible artifacts | Edited media, project files, revision histories. |
| Possible modification | Cropping, recompression, and text edits alter signals. |
| Possible loss | Metadata and provenance can be stripped. |
| Independent corroborating sources | Original assets and editing workflow records. |
Export
| Consideration | Possible evidence behavior |
|---|---|
| Possible artifacts | Transcripts, archives, attachments, manifests. |
| Possible modification | Formats and timestamp representations can change. |
| Possible loss | Internal identifiers and branches may be excluded. |
| Independent corroborating sources | Documented export settings and source-state comparisons. |
Acquisition
| Consideration | Possible evidence behavior |
|---|---|
| Possible artifacts | Images, logical collections, logs, custody records. |
| Possible modification | Live acquisition can cause state changes. |
| Possible loss | Scope restrictions or delayed collection may leave gaps. |
| Independent corroborating sources | Acquisition notes, digests, and independent collections. |
Examination
| Consideration | Possible evidence behavior |
|---|---|
| Possible artifacts | Parsed records, timelines, tool output, reports. |
| Possible modification | Normalization and parsing create derived representations. |
| Possible loss | Unsupported fields or parser errors can omit material. |
| Independent corroborating sources | Raw records, alternate parsers, and controlled validation. |
Interpret gaps cautiously
A record absent at examination may never have been created, may have expired, or may remain outside the acquired source. The same absence can arise through ordinary retention and deliberate removal. A deletion hypothesis requires additional support. Link each proposed transition to source records and label unobserved steps.
Use preservation and acquisition methods before attempting recovery. The adjacent Anti-Forensics.com resource covers deletion, persistence, and evidentiary uncertainty. For AI application behavior, document the tested platform and version rather than extrapolating from general recovery possibilities.
Sources & further reading
Source verification checks the official publication and its scope. It is separate from independent technical review of this reference page.
- NIST SP 800-86: Guide to Integrating Forensic Techniques into Incident Response
IT-oriented forensic process and sources; published 2006. It is not a complete investigative procedure or legal advice.
- PROV-DM: The PROV Data Model
A model for entities, activities, agents, and derivation relationships; a W3C Recommendation from 2013.
- SQLite: Write-Ahead Logging
Database, WAL, checkpoint, and associated shared-memory behavior. General SQLite behavior is not proof of an AI application’s storage design.
Canonical reference: https://syntheticforensics.org/evidence-lifecycle/
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