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All glossary terms

AI governance

Foundation Models

A foundation model is a machine-learning model trained on broad data that can be adapted or used for multiple downstream tasks. The term describes a model’s general-purpose role in a technical workflow, not a specific architecture, capability level, or quality guarantee.

Also known as foundation model.

Why it matters in practice

Foundation models can be integrated through prompts, fine-tuning, retrieval, or other system components, and the surrounding application affects their behavior. Teams should assess the model and deployment context separately, including data, access, evaluation, and reliance. The model label does not decide how a legal framework classifies a system.

Example

A team compares a general text model with a task-specific classifier before deciding which component should summarize internal support notes.

Educational note

This definition is general information, not legal advice. It may omit facts that matter to a specific situation and does not establish or guarantee compliance.