AI Preferences (aipref) Internet Drafts

      
 A Vocabulary For Expressing AI Usage Preferences
 
 draft-ietf-aipref-vocab-01.txt
 Date: 18/06/2025
 Authors: Paul Keller, Martin Thomson
 Working Group: AI Preferences (aipref)
 This document proposes a standardized vocabulary for expressing preferences related to how digital assets are used by automated processing systems. This vocabulary allows for the creation of structured declarations about restrictions or permissions for use of digital assets by such systems.
 Indicating Preferences Regarding Content Usage
 
 draft-ietf-aipref-attach-01.txt
 Date: 18/06/2025
 Authors: Gary Illyes, Martin Thomson
 Working Group: AI Preferences (aipref)
 Content creators and other stakeholders might wish to signal their preferences about how their content might be consumed by automated systems. This document defines how preferences can be signaled as part of the acquisition of content in HTTP. This document updates RFC 9309 to allow for the inclusion of usage preferences.

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AI Preferences (aipref)

WG Name AI Preferences
Acronym aipref
Area Web and Internet Transport (wit)
State Active
Charter charter-ietf-aipref-01 Approved
Document dependencies
Additional resources GitHub Organization
Additional Web Page
Personnel Chairs Mark Nottingham, Suresh Krishnan
Area Director Mike Bishop
Mailing list Address ai-control@ietf.org
To subscribe https://mailman3.ietf.org/mailman3/lists/ai-control.ietf.org/
Archive https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/ai-control/
Chat Room address https://zulip.ietf.org/#narrow/stream/aipref

Charter for Working Group

The AI Preferences Working Group will standardize building blocks that allow for the expression of preferences about how content is collected and processed for Artificial Intelligence (AI) model development, deployment, and use.

There are many ways that preferences regarding content might be expressed. The Working Group will focus on attaching preferences to content either by including preferences in content metadata or by signaling preferences using the protocol that delivers content.

The Working Group will deliver:

  • A standard track document covering vocabulary for expressing AI-related preferences, independent of how those preferences are associated with content.
  • Standard track document(s) describing means of attaching or associating those preferences with content in IETF-defined protocols and formats, including but not limited to using Well-Known URIs (RFC 8615) such as the Robots Exclusion Protocol (RFC 9309), and HTTP response header fields.
  • A standard method for reconciling multiple expressions of preferences.

The working group is expected to liaise as appropriate with:

  • International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) and the PLUS Coalition, regarding attachment in formats controlled by these bodies
  • WHATWG and/or W3C, regarding attachment in HTML and other formats controlled by these bodies
  • Other bodies responsible for content formats, as appropriate

Liaisons are intended to aid the incorporation into protocols, mechanisms, frameworks and content formats developed and controlled by external bodies.

The following topics are out of scope for this charter:

  • Technical enforcement of preferences
  • Application layer protocols for authenticating or authorizing clients and/or crawlers
  • Establishment of registries of preferences relating to content
  • Auditing and other transparency measures for AI training

Milestones

Date Milestone Associated documents
Aug 2025 Standard track protocol specification(s) to associate the AI-related preferences to the IESG for publication
Aug 2025 A standard track specification describing vocabulary for expressing AI-related preferences to the IESG for publication