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World Model

Reviewed 19 July 2026 Canonical definition Part of: AI Agent Fundamentals →

A world model is an internal representation an AI agent builds of its environment, including the state of systems, the consequences of actions, and the expectations of users. Agents with richer world models can plan more effectively but may also develop inaccurate assumptions.

§01 / QUESTIONSterm: World Model
Questions

Common questions.

What is World Model?

A world model is an internal representation an AI agent builds of its environment, including the state of systems, the consequences of actions, and the expectations of users.

How does World Model work?

Agents with richer world models can plan more effectively but may also develop inaccurate assumptions.

Which terms are related to World Model?

Closely related concepts include Event Sourcing (Agent), Training Data Poisoning, Model Risk Management, Corrigibility. Each is defined in the Prefactor glossary.

§02 / RELATEDnext: where this fits
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Where this fits.

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