A field guide to AI positions

Model card

Sources are over 18 months old.

Publication dates and source age

Sources counted: 2

Newest dated source: 2022-02-23

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.

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In plain language

A document describing a model’s intended uses, tests and limitations. It helps scrutiny but is not a safety certificate. [1]

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Limits & distinctions

A model card focuses on a model. A system card considers how models and other parts work together in a product. Neither title alone establishes how complete the reporting is. [1] [2]

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A fuller explanation

The model-card proposal calls for information about what a model is for, how it was evaluated and how its performance varies across relevant conditions or groups. A useful card makes those limits visible alongside results. [1]

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How it relates to the map

Map context: a model card is evidence to inspect when evaluating claims about a model. Publishing one does not establish an organization’s policy position. [1]

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https://theaiatlas.org/ideas/model-card/

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Sources and what we read

  1. 1. Model Cards for Model Reporting

    Source is over 18 months old.

    Publication dates and source age

    Sources counted: 1

    Newest dated source: 2018-10-05

    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.

    What we read: The abstract and version history, not the full paper.

    Read the abstract and version history, including intended uses, evaluation conditions and reporting across groups. This is a documentation proposal, not a certification that a model is safe or fair.

  2. 2. System Cards, a new resource for understanding how AI systems work

    Source is over 18 months old.

    Publication dates and source age

    Sources counted: 1

    Newest dated source: 2022-02-23

    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 the system-card proposal, its distinction from model cards and its limitations section. Meta describes its own approach; publication of a card is not an independent audit of the system.

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.

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