A field guide to AI positions

Knowledge cutoff

Using AI.

Source is over 18 months old.

Publication dates and source age

Sources counted: 1

Newest dated source: 2024-03-19

Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.

Open in the glossary Reading notes · Structured record

Prepared with AI assistance. Not independently fact-checked. Original sources and qualifications are below.

In plain language

A reported date describing the freshness of a model’s training information. It is not a guarantee of complete or correct knowledge before that date. [1]

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Explanation based on the linked sources. Claim ID: claim-term-knowledge-cutoff-1a5192ba3d7825ca26b24a72. Edition 0.20.0.

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Limits & distinctions

Different topics can have different effective cutoffs. A single advertised date should not be read as a promise that every earlier event is covered or that every answer is up to date. [1]

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Explanation based on the linked sources. Claim ID: claim-term-knowledge-cutoff-09422ce4d5c74cb753a9bb98. Edition 0.20.0.

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A fuller explanation

A provider may state when training material was collected. Researchers distinguish that reported date from an effective cutoff: how recent the information a model can actually reproduce is for a particular topic or source. [1]

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Explanation based on the linked sources. Claim ID: claim-term-knowledge-cutoff-1e4c26398ee834b2e16dc7b8. Edition 0.20.0.

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How it relates to the map

Map context: a cutoff is a limit to check when using a model as an information source. It is not a measure of intelligence or a map position. [1]

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Editorial interpretation or qualification. Claim ID: claim-term-knowledge-cutoff-25f52a21ad9f2e54a62ed1b2. Edition 0.20.0.

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https://theaiatlas.org/ideas/knowledge-cutoff/

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Sources and what we read

  1. 1. Dated Data: Tracing Knowledge Cutoffs in Large Language Models

    Jeffrey Cheng and colleagues / arXiv · First-hand source · Published 2024-03-19 · Updated 2024-09-17 · Material last read 2026-09-15

    Source is over 18 months old.

    Publication dates and source age

    Sources counted: 1

    Newest dated source: 2024-03-19

    Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

    Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.

    Read scope is described in the source note.

    No archive check recorded.

    Read the abstract and version history. The paper distinguishes a reported cutoff from the effective cutoff for particular resources and topics. No specific current product cutoff is inferred.

    Source ID: glossary-wide-knowledge-cutoff

Edition and machine-readable evidence

Content version 0.20.0. Evidence cutoff 2026-09-15; this does not mean every source was read on that day.

Pinned complete dataset · Complete evidence page · Agent consumption guide