03 · Retrieval, Evidence & Consensus

Grounding

Connecting a generated answer to real, checkable information.

Technical Term

Full explanation

Grounding is how an AI system connects a generated response to external, verifiable information, rather than relying only on patterns learned during training.

Why this matters

Grounded answers draw on sources that exist now, which is what makes current, well-structured published evidence worth building.

Where this sits

Grounding belongs to Retrieval, Evidence & Consensus, one of the seven layers of the Aingworth Glossary. Information exists, then it is retrieved, then sources are selected, then they corroborate one another, then consensus emerges. This is where Aingworth's Consensus Over Rankings thesis lives.

Related terms

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Retrieving source material before generating an answer. Retrieval Finding the relevant information a system will use to answer. AI Hallucination Inaccurate or fabricated output presented as fact.
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