What is AI provenance?
Last updated: 2026-09-24
AI provenance is the recorded origin and custody chain of an AI output: which model and tools were involved, which inputs were used, and the order in which actions occurred.
A Zambo verifiable receipt makes that record concrete. It gives a reviewer a receipt ID, a timestamp, the execution details that were recorded, an attestation mode when present, and a SHA-256 hash of canonical event data that can be checked independently.
The record shows what the execution layer observed. An integrity check does not establish that an answer is correct or that an outside system completed an action unless separate evidence confirms it.
Live receipt example
This live production receipt identifies the tool live_price and receipt ID 3bdcb97b-0aed-4973-bc68-f5aad78f5262.
Open the live verifiable receipt and compare its recorded fields with the public execution receipt definition.
What provenance lets a reviewer check
A reviewer can trace the recorded origin, inspect the sequence of tool activity, compare the returned result with the claim being made, and verify the receipt's integrity fields. Missing inputs, unavailable evidence, or unconfirmed outside effects should remain visible rather than being filled in by assumption.