How AI Citation Registries Work

AI Citation Registries operate by publishing structured, machine-readable records that artificial intelligence systems can interpret directly.

Structured Records

Each entry is organized into explicit fields such as source, authority, jurisdiction, and timestamp. This allows AI systems to process information without relying solely on inference.

Explicit Attribution

The publishing entity is defined as a discrete field rather than being implied through layout or surrounding context. This strengthens attribution when information is summarized or recomposed.

Temporal Clarity

Timestamps are included as structured data, helping AI systems distinguish between current and outdated information.

Machine-Readable Format

Records are published in formats such as JSON, allowing artificial intelligence systems to consume and interpret them programmatically rather than extracting meaning from unstructured text.

Post-Publication Layer

AI Citation Registries do not create or edit content. They operate after publication, transforming finalized information into a structured format designed for AI interpretation.

From publication to citation

1. The agency publishes as it always doesThe statement appears on the agency’s website, in a press release or through its usual channels. Nothing about that workflow changes.
2. The finalized statement becomes a recordThe statement is submitted with its authority, jurisdiction, source address and publication time as separate fields.
3. The registry validates, hashes and signsThe registry checks the record, computes a cryptographic hash of its contents and signs the hash with a private key.
4. Records and withdrawals are made availableThe registry offers the records, and notices of withdrawn records, in an AI-readable feed.
5. An AI system retrieves, verifies and citesThe system reads the record, checks the signature against the published public key, and cites the statement with its authority and timestamp.

Integrity

Every record is protected by a hash and a digital signature. A change to any part of a record changes its hash, so a modified record fails verification.

The matching public keys are published, so a system can check a record without relying on the channel that delivered it. When a signing key is retired, its public key stays listed so earlier records can still be verified.

Withdrawals and corrections

When a record has to come out of circulation, the registry publishes a signed withdrawal notice. Systems that read the feed see the notice and stop presenting the statement as current. A corrected statement is published as a new record with its own timestamp.

A worked example

This example is illustrative. The agency is fictional.

An emergency management office lifts a shelter-in-place order at 3:30 p.m. At 3:45 p.m. a resident asks an AI system whether the order is still in effect. On the open web the system may find the original order, a news story repeating it and a county notice from last year, with no clear signal about which is current.

With a registry, the system finds the lifting notice as a record. It reads the issuing authority, the jurisdiction it covers and the time it was published, and it verifies the signature. It can answer that the order was lifted at 3:30 p.m. and cite the issuing agency.

See the glossary for the terms used here.