Methodology / Codebook

Codebook

This is the data dictionary for the AI Trace record: every field in the three tables that make up the record, every value each enum can take, and what those values mean. The definitions are the ones our editorial standards use. The same definitions are published as a machine-readable schema at /datapackage.json, and the pages, the public API, and dataset releases are all generated from this one source.

Tables

The record is three tables. A company has many practices; a practice has many evidence rows. Ids are stable and are the citation keys; a company slug is the current URL and can change.

Companies `companies.csv`

One row per company profile. The id is the stable identifier; the slug is the current URL path and can change when a company is renamed.

Primary key id · parent_company_id references companies.id

Fields of the Companies table
Field	Type	Definition
`id`Company id	string (uuid)	Stable unique identifier for the company. Cite by id: https://www.aitrace.org/r/company/{id} resolves to the current page even after a rename.
`name`Name	string	Company display name.
`slug`Slug	string	URL-safe company identifier, the path segment of the company page. Unique at any one time; may change when a company is renamed, so it is not a stable citation key.
`website`Website	string (uri), nullable	Primary company website URL.
`description`Description	string, nullable	Short description of the company shown on its profile.
`industry_tags`Industry tags	array, nullable	Array of industry tags assigned to the company.
`aliases`Aliases	array, nullable	Other names the company is known by; used to match searches and reports to the profile.
`ai_status`AI status	stringCompany AI status values	Overall company AI status: confirmed_use, suspected_use, no_known_use, or under_review. Set by a moderator on the company record.
`parent_company_id`Parent company id	string (uuid), nullable	Id of the parent company when this company is a subsidiary. Null for top-level companies.
`last_verified_at`Last verified	datetime, nullable	Updated whenever a moderator publishes or edits a practice or a cited source under this company. It records the most recent moderator action on the company's record; it does not mean every claim was re-checked on that date. Null when no moderator action has been recorded.
`created_at`Created	datetime	Timestamp the company record was created.
`updated_at`Updated	datetime	Timestamp the company record was most recently updated.

Practices `practices.csv`

One row per documented AI practice. Every structured field supports an explicit "unknown" or "unclear" value, and every descriptive field may be left null, when sources do not support a specific value. We do not guess.

Primary key id · company_id references companies.id

Fields of the Practices table
Field	Type	Definition
`id`Practice id	string (uuid)	Stable unique identifier for the practice. Cite by id: https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/{id} resolves to the current page.
`company_id`Company id	string (uuid)	Id of the company the practice belongs to.
`category`Category	stringPractice category values	Practice category, one of seven values; "Other" is the catch-all.Completeness weight: 5 points
`subcategory`Subcategory	string, nullable	Optional free-text subcategory.Completeness weight: 5 points
`summary`Summary	string	One-sentence summary of the practice.
`details`Details	string, nullable	Longer prose description.
`products_affected`Products affected	array, nullable	Array of product or service names touched by this practice. Empty when none are named.
`status`Status	stringPractice status values	Editorial status: verified, reported, disputed, or retracted.
`date_practice_started`Date started	string, nullable	Earliest known date the practice began. A partial date (a year, or a year and month) is allowed; null when sources do not say.Completeness weight: 5 points
`discontinued_at`Discontinued	date, nullable	Date the practice was discontinued. Null when still active. Discontinuation is an explicit flag, not a deletion: the entry stays in the record.
`last_reviewed_at`Last reviewed	datetime, nullable	Timestamp of the most recent moderator review of this practice.
`deployment_scope`Deployment scope	stringDeployment scope values	Access conditions for the AI system. The value "unknown" is the sentinel default and earns zero points in the completeness score. Orthogonal to visibility; never infer one from the other.Completeness weight: 10 points
`deployment_regions`Deployment regions	string, nullable	Free-text geographic scope (examples: "US only", "60+ countries", "global"). Null when sources do not clarify. For scoring purposes, the literal string "unknown" is treated the same as null.Completeness weight: 5 points
`user_base_affected`User base affected	string, nullable	Free-text scale and population affected (example: "all 500M monthly users", "enterprise customers only"). Null when sources do not clarify. For scoring purposes, the literal string "unknown" is treated the same as null.Completeness weight: 10 points
`ai_function`AI function	arrayAI function values	Array of AI functions; the primary function is listed first. Sentinel default is ["other"]. An array containing only "other" earns zero points in the completeness score.Completeness weight: 10 points
`ai_input`AI input	string, nullable	Free-text description of what the AI system receives as input.Completeness weight: 10 points
`ai_output`AI output	string, nullable	Free-text description of what the AI system produces.Completeness weight: 10 points
`labor_impact_type`Labor impact type	stringLabor impact type values	Labor consequence of the AI system. Sentinel default is "unclear", which earns zero points. Setting "automates_prior_task" requires explicit two-sided evidence at the specific company.Completeness weight: 10 points
`prior_human_process`Prior human process	string, nullable	Free-text description of what humans did before the AI system existed. Null when labor_impact_type is new_capability or when sources do not clarify. Populating this field earns its 10 points even when labor_impact_type remains unclear.Completeness weight: 10 points
`labor_context`Labor context	string, nullable	Free-text nuance about the labor situation that does not fit the enum cleanly (example: "editors still review before publish"). Documenting a gap here earns its 5 points even when labor_impact_type is unclear.Completeness weight: 5 points
`visibility`Visibility	string, nullableVisibility values	Whose experience includes the AI output. Null is the sentinel and earns zero points. Orthogonal to deployment_scope; both fields must be set independently based on what the sources support.Completeness weight: 5 points
`completeness_score`Completeness score	integer	Derived 0 to 100 editorial completeness score, maintained automatically whenever the practice is written. Purely additive; zero is a valid score. Sentinel values ("unknown", "unclear", a sole ["other"], null) earn zero points for their respective fields. A low score due to honest unknowns is acceptable. It is never authored by hand and is not an editorial judgment.
`created_at`Created	datetime	Timestamp the practice record was created.
`updated_at`Updated	datetime	Timestamp the practice record was most recently updated.

Evidence `evidence.csv`

One row per cited source. Every claim in a practice is traceable to at least one row here; a published practice has at least one accepted source, and at least one Tier 1 or Tier 2 source.

Primary key id · practice_id references practices.id

Fields of the Evidence table
Field	Type	Definition
`id`Evidence id	string (uuid)	Evidence row unique identifier.
`practice_id`Practice id	string (uuid)	Id of the practice this source supports.
`source_type`Source type	stringSource type values	Type of source: news_article, company_disclosure, regulatory_filing, community_report, academic_paper, social_media_post. Each type maps to a tier.
`source_url`Source URL	string (uri)	Canonical URL of the source.
`archived_url`Archived copy	string (uri), nullable	Wayback or archive URL, when captured. Null when the page could not be archived (for example, the publisher blocks archiving or the page was gone before capture).
`source_title`Title	string	Title of the article, document, or post.
`source_publisher`Publisher	string, nullable	Publisher or platform hosting the source.
`source_date`Date published	date, nullable	Publication date of the source.
`excerpt`Excerpt	string, nullable	Evidence excerpt relevant to the claim.
`verified`Moderator verified	boolean	Whether a moderator has manually verified this source. A source is marked moderator-verified only when three conditions are met simultaneously: the source is from the company itself, the URL is on a recognizable official domain, and the content directly confirms the specific practice being documented. This flag is applied at the source level, not the practice level.
`created_at`Created	datetime	Timestamp the evidence row was created.

Enum values

Stored values are what the API and release files carry. Labels are what the site renders. Where a value is marked sentinel, it is the explicit record that we looked and the sources do not say; a sentinel earns zero points in the completeness score, and an entry with honestly unknown fields is more defensible than one filled with plausible guesses.

Company AI status `ai_status`

The company-level status shown on the company badge. A moderator sets it on the company record; it is set independently of the status of any one practice.

Values of Company AI status
Stored value	Label	Definition
`confirmed_use`	Confirmed AI Use	The company badge reads Confirmed AI Use. Descriptive, not a judgment: the site tracks AI use and does not rate it.
`suspected_use`	Suspected AI Use	The company badge reads Suspected AI Use.
`no_known_use`	No Known AI Use	The company badge reads No Known AI Use.
`under_review`	Under Review	The company badge reads Under Review. A company record created by the automated discovery pipeline carries this status until a moderator reviews it.

Practice status `practice_status`

The editorial status of one practice entry. Verified and Reported are assigned from the cited sources; Disputed and Retracted come from the dispute and correction process.

Values of Practice status
Stored value	Label	Definition
`verified`	Verified	A practice is marked "Verified" when at least one primary source directly confirms it. A primary source originates from the company itself: its newsroom, engineering blog, SEC filings, regulatory disclosures, official support pages, or developer documentation, on a recognizable official domain.
`reported`	Reported	A practice is marked "Reported" when all available sources are secondary, or when the company has not officially confirmed the practice. A secondary source includes news articles, trade press, community reports, academic papers, and social media posts.
`disputed`	Disputed	If an entry is disputed, it carries a "Disputed" badge until the dispute is resolved. Contested information is not silently removed.
`retracted`	Retracted	An entry that turns out to be materially wrong is marked Retracted rather than deleted: the record of what we got wrong stays public.

Practice category `practice_category`

The kind of AI practice. One of seven values; "Other" is the catch-all when no specific category fits.

Values of Practice category
Stored value	Label	Definition
`creative_generation`	Creative Generation	AI used to generate creative material.
`productivity_automation`	Productivity Automation	AI used to automate or speed up work tasks.
`data_analysis`	Data Analysis	AI used to analyze data.
`content_moderation`	Content Moderation	AI used to moderate content.
`recommendation_system`	Recommendation System	AI used to recommend items to people.
`customer_service`	Customer Service	AI used in customer service.
`other`sentinel	Other	The catch-all when no specific category fits.

Deployment scope `deployment_scope`

Access conditions for the AI system: who can access it. Orthogonal to visibility; never infer one from the other. The value "unknown" is the sentinel default and earns zero points in the completeness score.

Values of Deployment scope
Stored value	Label	Definition
`all_users`	All Users	Available to all users of the product or service.
`opt_in`	Opt-in	Available to users who choose to turn it on.
`pilot`	Pilot	Deployed to a limited pilot group.
`internal_tool`	Internal Tool	Used inside the company by its own staff.
`offered_not_mandated`	Offered, Not Mandated	Offered to staff or users without being required.
`unknown`sentinel	Unknown	The sentinel used when sources do not clarify; it earns zero points in the completeness score.

AI function `ai_function`

The technical mechanism: what the model does, independent of labor impact. Stored as an array with the primary function listed first. The value "other" is the sentinel used when no specific function fits; an array containing only "other" earns zero points in the completeness score.

Values of AI function
Stored value	Label	Definition
`generating`	Generating	Produces new content.
`classifying`	Classifying	Assigns items to categories.
`matching`	Matching	Pairs or links items to one another.
`summarizing`	Summarizing	Condenses longer material.
`recommending`	Recommending	Ranks or suggests items.
`detecting`	Detecting	Finds patterns, anomalies, or specific content.
`predicting`	Predicting	Estimates future or unobserved values.
`automating`	Automating	Carries out a task end to end. Shares a word with the labor impact value automates_prior_task but describes the mechanism, not the labor consequence; the two are set independently.
`other`sentinel	Other	The sentinel used when no specific function fits.

Labor impact type `labor_impact_type`

Labor consequence of the AI system, fully independent of the AI function. The value "unclear" is the sentinel and earns zero points. The value "automates_prior_task" requires explicit two-sided evidence at the specific company: one side documents the prior human process, the other confirms that AI now performs that task.

Values of Labor impact type
Stored value	Label	Definition
`augments_existing`	Augments Existing Work	AI assists work that humans continue to do.
`automates_prior_task`	Automates Prior Task	AI performs a task that humans at the company previously performed. Requires two-sided evidence; where only one side is confirmed, or where the prior human process is an industry-wide assumption rather than a company-specific fact, the value is unclear.
`new_capability`	New Capability	AI enables something that was not previously done by humans at the company.
`unclear`sentinel	Unclear	The sentinel used when sources do not support a specific classification; it earns zero points.

Visibility `visibility`

Whose experience includes the AI output. Null is the sentinel and earns zero points. Orthogonal to deployment scope; both fields must be set independently based on what the sources support.

Values of Visibility
Stored value	Label	Definition
`consumer_facing`	Consumer-facing	Customers or the public experience the AI output.
`internal`	Internal	Only people inside the company experience the AI output.
`both`	Both	Both customers and internal staff experience the AI output.

Source type `source_type`

The kind of cited source. Each type maps to a tier: Tier 1 (Company Disclosure, Regulatory Filing) is material from the company itself or filed with a government and can substantiate a claim alone; Tier 2 (News Article, Academic Paper) is reporting from established outlets and peer-reviewed research; Tier 3 (Social Media, Community Report) is never sufficient alone.

Values of Source type
Stored value	Label	Definition
`company_disclosure`	Company Disclosure	Tier 1. Official statements, press releases, engineering blogs and documentation on official domains.
`regulatory_filing`	Regulatory Filing	Tier 1. SEC and regulatory filings.
`news_article`	News Article	Tier 2. Reporting from established outlets with editorial standards and named authorship.
`academic_paper`	Academic Paper	Tier 2. Peer-reviewed academic research.
`social_media_post`	Social Media	Tier 3. Social media posts; screenshots are required.
`community_report`	Community Report	Tier 3. Community reports and forums.

Provenance status `provenance_status`

Authorship of the current value of a tracked practice field. Rendered on each practice page as the provenance line; not a column in the release files. The tracked fields are summary, details, category, subcategory, products affected, visibility, labor impact type, deployment scope, deployment regions, user base affected, AI function, AI input, AI output, prior human process, and labor context.

Values of Provenance status
Stored value	Label	Definition
`ai_drafted`	AI drafted	The current value was drafted by the automated research pipeline and accepted by a human reviewer without edits.
`human_edited`	Human edited	A human reviewer wrote or changed the current value.
`human_verified`	Human verified	A human reviewer verified the current value against the cited sources.

Completeness score

Each practice carries a completeness score from 0 to 100. It is computed, not guessed: it reflects actual non-default field values per the weights below, is maintained automatically whenever a practice is written, and is never authored by hand. It measures how much the cited evidence supports, not how good or bad the practice is. A low score due to honest unknowns is acceptable.

Completeness score weights by field
Field	Points
Category `category`	5
Subcategory `subcategory`	5
Date started `date_practice_started`	5
Deployment scope `deployment_scope`	10
Deployment regions `deployment_regions`	5
User base affected `user_base_affected`	10
AI function `ai_function`	10
AI input `ai_input`	10
AI output `ai_output`	10
Labor impact type `labor_impact_type`	10
Prior human process `prior_human_process`	10
Labor context `labor_context`	5
Visibility `visibility`	5
Total	100

Machine-readable schema

The same dictionary is published as a Frictionless Data Package at /datapackage.json: one Table Schema per table, with field names, types, enum constraints, primary keys, and foreign keys. Dataset releases ship this file beside the CSVs it describes, so a release can be validated against the published schema. The package carries a version once the first dataset release exists; until then the field is absent rather than invented.

For citation forms and the data license, see How to cite. For what the record does not cover, see Known limitations.

Tables

Companies companies.csv

Practices practices.csv

Evidence evidence.csv

Enum values

Company AI status ai_status

Practice status practice_status

Practice category practice_category

Deployment scope deployment_scope

AI function ai_function

Labor impact type labor_impact_type

Visibility visibility

Source type source_type

Provenance status provenance_status