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Drift

By Updated

The gradual divergence of a model's inputs, outputs or performance from its validated baseline over time; a runtime signal that a control or eval must catch. The two kinds to tell apart are data drift, in the inputs, and concept drift, in the input-to-answer relationship.

Developed in
ch. 15, Drift: what moves and how to see it
ch. 05, Pattern: Drift & Fairness Monitor
ch. 17, AI-specific failure modes
Chapters
ch. 04, The Stack · ch. 05, Patterns · ch. 11, AI Defined · ch. 15, Deployment · ch. 16, Fairness & XAI · ch. 17, Incidents
Contrast with
Data drift · Concept drift
Source
Defined by this Body of Knowledge: the section it is developed in is the source

Where it is used

15 chapters of the Body of Knowledge use the term. Each link opens the first section that does.

Drift: mentions per chapter60 mentions of the term across 15 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter04 The Stack: 1 mention04 The Stack105 Patterns: 2 mentions05 Patterns206 The Role: 1 mention06 The Role107 Maturity Model: 2 mentions07 Maturity Model208 Regulatory Map: 4 mentions08 Regulatory Map411 AI Defined: 7 mentions11 AI Defined712 Governance Program: 2 mentions12 Governance Program213 Risk Management: 3 mentions13 Risk Management314 Development: 4 mentions14 Development415 Deployment: 16 mentions15 Deployment1616 Fairness & XAI: 1 mention16 Fairness & XAI117 Incidents: 12 mentions17 Incidents1219 Privacy & AI: 1 mention19 Privacy & AI120 Existing Law: 1 mention20 Existing Law122 Principles & Standards: 3 mentions22 Principles & Standards3No mentions in the other 8 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
Drift: mentions per chapter60 mentions of the term across 15 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter0001020304 The Stack: 1 mention10405 Patterns: 2 mentions20506 The Role: 1 mention10607 Maturity Model: 2 mentions20708 Regulatory Map: 4 mentions4081011 AI Defined: 7 mentions71112 Governance Program: 2 mentions21213 Risk Management: 3 mentions31314 Development: 4 mentions41415 Deployment: 16 mentions161516 Fairness & XAI: 1 mention11617 Incidents: 12 mentions12171819 Privacy & AI: 1 mention11920 Existing Law: 1 mention1202122 Principles & Standards: 3 mentions32223Source: the Body of Knowledge v0.5.0
Mentions per chapter How often each chapter names the term, with the chapters the glossary cross-references drawn solid. The longest bar is where to read the term in use; bars spread across many chapters mark a term that runs through the discipline.
Mentions as a table
Mentions of Drift per chapter
ChapterMentionsCross-referenced
00 Preface0No
01 Definition0No
02 Why Now0No
03 Values & Principles0No
04 The Stack1Yes
05 Patterns2Yes
06 The Role1No
07 Maturity Model2No
08 Regulatory Map4No
10 Reading List0No
11 AI Defined7Yes
12 Governance Program2No
13 Risk Management3No
14 Development4No
15 Deployment16Yes
16 Fairness & XAI1Yes
17 Incidents12Yes
18 EU AI Act0No
19 Privacy & AI1No
20 Existing Law1No
21 AI Laws Worldwide0No
22 Principles & Standards3No
23 AI Agents0No

Patterns that use this term

19 pattern pages use the term; the 10 that use it most:

Drift: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastColour: stack layer of the pattern01 Govern-as-Code02 Inventory03 Evals04 Runtime Controls05 AssuranceDriftRelated terms (3)Adaptiveness · RelatedAdaptivenessHallucination · RelatedHallucinationIssue (versus incident) · RelatedIssue (versus incident)Contrast with (2)Concept drift · ContrastConcept driftData drift · ContrastData driftPatterns using it most (6)AIBOM, 2 mentions · Uses the termAIBOMAgent Registry, 2 mentions · Uses the termAgent RegistryDisclosure & Notification Pipeline, 3 mentions · Uses the termDisclosure & Notification…Drift & Fairness Monitor, 13 mentions · Uses the termDrift & Fairness MonitorFairness Eval Suite, 3 mentions · Uses the termFairness Eval SuitePolicy Card, 2 mentions · Uses the termPolicy Card
Drift: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastColour: stack layer of the pattern01 Govern-as-Code02 Inventory03 Evals04 Runtime Controls05 AssuranceRelated terms (3)Adaptiveness · RelatedAdaptivenessHallucination · RelatedHallucinationIssue (versus incident) · RelatedIssue (versus incident)Contrast with (2)Concept drift · ContrastConcept driftData drift · ContrastData driftPatterns using it most (6)AIBOM, 2 mentions · Uses the termAIBOMAgent Registry, 2 mentions · Uses the termAgent RegistryDisclosure & Notification Pipeline, 3 mentions · Uses the termDisclosure & Notification…Drift & Fairness Monitor, 13 mentions · Uses the termDrift & Fairness MonitorFairness Eval Suite, 3 mentions · Uses the termFairness Eval SuitePolicy Card, 2 mentions · Uses the termPolicy CardDrift
The term's neighbourhood Terms related to this one on solid edges, terms it is often confused with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer. Follow a dashed edge to check the distinction before you use either term.
Neighbourhood as a table
Neighbourhood of Drift
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsAdaptivenessRelated
Related termsHallucinationRelated
Related termsIssue (versus incident)Related
Contrast withConcept driftContrast
Contrast withData driftContrast
Patterns using it mostAIBOM, 2 mentionsUses the term
Patterns using it mostAgent Registry, 2 mentionsUses the term
Patterns using it mostDisclosure & Notification Pipeline, 3 mentionsUses the term
Patterns using it mostDrift & Fairness Monitor, 13 mentionsUses the term
Patterns using it mostFairness Eval Suite, 3 mentionsUses the term
Patterns using it mostPolicy Card, 2 mentionsUses the term
  • Hallucination

    Generative output that is stated confidently but is false or unsupported by its sources; NIST's generative AI profile calls it confabulation and lists it…

  • Issue (versus incident)

    A defect, deviation or control weakness that has not produced a harmful event, such as an eval regression in staging or a drift alert.

  • Adaptiveness

    The ability of an AI system to change its behaviour while in use, through learning after deployment; optional under the EU AI Act definition.

Sources

No external source: the term is coined or used in a specific sense by this Body of Knowledge, and the section linked under "Developed in" is its source.

Definitions of legal terms paraphrase the cited text, which governs. Dated statements are as of .

Cite this term

García Aibar, J. (2026). Drift. In AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis & Body of Knowledge (v0.5.0), Glossary. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197. https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/drift. CC BY 4.0

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026drift,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{Drift}},
  note    = {Glossary, AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis \& Body of Knowledge, version 0.5.0},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.22956197},
  url     = {https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/drift}
}