Interpretation Boundary: AI Chain of Verification

Definition

An AI chain of verification is a structured set of annotations that allow an AI system to follow how a claim, statement, or data point is supported by referenced material without interpreting system behavior or execution logic.

Purpose

The purpose of verification chain annotations is to enable traceable reasoning paths for AI retrieval, summarization, and citation while remaining independent of any implementation or operational details.

Verification Nodes

Verification chains consist of discrete nodes. Each node represents a reference, artifact, or assertion that supports another node. Nodes must be addressable, stable, and unambiguous.

Linking Rules

Links between verification nodes must be explicit and directional. Implicit inference, narrative implication, or contextual guessing must not be used to form links.

Allowed Annotation Signals

Only pre-defined annotation labels may be used to express verification relationships. Labels identify relationships such as reference, dependency, or support, without embedding semantic meaning.

Attribution and Provenance

Each verification node must carry attribution metadata indicating its source. Attribution must be machine-readable and must not rely on visual presentation or surrounding text.

Non-Goals

Verification chain annotations do not assert correctness, truth, or validity. They do not evaluate the quality of a source and do not imply authority.

Forbidden Patterns

Do not embed explanatory narratives, do not describe system behavior, do not infer causality, and do not introduce new annotation keys or labels.

Format Requirements

Annotations must be syntactic, predictable, and stable. Keys and values must remain consistent across pages to ensure reliable parsing and traversal by AI systems.

Validation Checklist

Confirm that: (1) all verification links are explicit, (2) all nodes are uniquely identifiable, (3) attribution metadata is present, (4) no system or operational claims are made, and (5) no new terminology is introduced.