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+AILint Provenance Specification (v1.0)
+1. Purpose
+
+This specification defines a standard, explicit, machine-readable way to declare AI involvement in content.
+
+The goal is not attribution, enforcement, or monitoring, but transparent provenance signaling so that downstream systems—human or automated—can reason correctly about content origin and handling.
+
+2. Scope
+
+This specification applies to:
+
+Source code
+
+Documentation
+
+Configuration
+
+Structured or unstructured text
+
+Generated or AI-assisted artifacts
+
+It does not:
+
+Attempt to prove authorship
+
+Attempt to infer intent
+
+Replace legal or contractual attribution
+
+Mandate monitoring or telemetry
+
+3. Core Principle
+
+Explicit declaration always supersedes inference.
+
+If valid provenance metadata is present, no heuristic or probabilistic analysis should override it.
+
+4. Provenance Statement (Normative)
+
+A Provenance Statement is a declarative record asserting whether and how AI systems contributed to the content.
+
+4.1 Required Fields
+{
+  "ai_involved": true,
+  "role": "generated"
+}
+
+Field Definitions
+Field	Type	Description
+ai_involved	boolean	Indicates whether AI systems contributed to the content
+role	enum	Nature of AI involvement
+4.2 Role Enumeration (Normative)
+
+Valid values for role:
+
+generated – content produced primarily by an AI system
+
+assisted – AI used for drafting, suggestions, or partial output
+
+edited – AI used to modify or refine existing human content
+
+summarized – AI used to condense or abstract content
+
+translated – AI used to translate content between languages
+
+reviewed – AI used for analysis, linting, or feedback only
+
+5. Optional Fields (Non-Normative but Recommended)
+{
+  "confidence": 0.85,
+  "reference": "prov-2025-01-001"
+}
+
+Field	Type	Description
+confidence	number (0–1)	Self-reported confidence in declaration accuracy
+reference	string	Pointer to extended provenance metadata
+
+Notes:
+
+confidence is informational only.
+
+Absence of optional fields does not invalidate the statement.
+
+6. Transport Mechanisms
+
+The Provenance Statement may be transported using one or more of the following mechanisms.
+
+6.1 Inline Declaration (Preferred for Readability)
+
+Examples:
+
+Source code comment
+
+Markdown frontmatter
+
+Header block
+
+Example (Markdown frontmatter):
+
+ai_provenance:
+  ai_involved: true
+  role: assisted
+
+6.2 Git Metadata (Highly Robust)
+
+Example Git trailer:
+
+AILint-Provenance: ai_involved=true; role=generated; ref=prov-2025-01-001
+
+6.3 Sidecar Manifest (Authoritative Source)
+
+Example file:
+
+.ailint/provenance.jsonl
+
+
+Each entry binds:
+
+content hash
+
+file path
+
+provenance statement
+
+optional metadata
+
+optional cryptographic signature
+
+This manifest is the recommended system of record.
+
+6.4 Embedded / Invisible Markers (Optional)
+
+Invisible or steganographic markers:
+
+MAY be used as transport carriers
+
+MUST NOT be the sole source of truth
+
+MUST be removable without semantic loss
+
+Invisible markers are non-authoritative and non-normative.
+
+7. Precedence Rules
+
+When multiple provenance signals exist:
+
+Sidecar manifest
+
+Git metadata
+
+Inline declaration
+
+Embedded marker
+
+Heuristic inference (fallback only)
+
+8. Validity Requirements
+
+A Provenance Statement is considered valid if:
+
+Required fields are present
+
+Values conform to the defined schema
+
+Transport format preserves semantic meaning
+
+No cryptographic signing is required for validity, but it is recommended for trust.
+
+9. Privacy and Ethics Considerations
+
+This specification:
+
+Prohibits behavioral telemetry requirements
+
+Does not encode personal identifiers
+
+Avoids surveillance or performance monitoring implications
+
+Provenance is content-centric, not person-centric.
+
+10. Compatibility and Forward Evolution
+
+Unknown fields MUST be ignored
+
+Unknown roles SHOULD be treated as assisted
+
+Backward compatibility MUST be preserved
+
+Future versions may extend:
+
+role taxonomy
+
+trust assertions
+
+cryptographic binding methods
+
+11. Non-Goals (Explicit)
+
+This specification does not:
+
+Detect AI usage
+
+Enforce disclosure
+
+Judge content quality
+
+Establish copyright ownership
+
+12. Summary
+
+AILint Provenance is a voluntary, explicit signal of AI involvement—designed for clarity, interoperability, and trust.