Grounding

Grounding connects a model’s output to selected external information, observations, rules, or evidence relevant to the task.

Plan for this page

Understand one concept in plain language and connect it to nearby ideas.

You will leave with: A system can ground generation by supplying documents, database results, sensor readings, tool outputs, or verified constraints. The model must still use that material faithfully, and the supplied source itself may be incomplete or wrong.
Time: 3–8 min
Before you begin: No prerequisite. Keep one real example in mind.
Do this now: Read the explanation, then compare the example with the common misunderstanding.

Prepared next stepCompare grounding and tool access

GroundingGrounding connects a model’s output to selected external information, observations, rules, or evidence relevant to the task.

Retrieval-augmented generation
Verification
Primary source

Plain explanation

A system can ground generation by supplying documents, database results, sensor readings, tool outputs, or verified constraints. The model must still use that material faithfully, and the supplied source itself may be incomplete or wrong.

Example

An assistant answers an employee policy question from the current approved handbook and cites the exact supporting section.

Why it matters

Grounding can improve relevance and traceability, but it creates a chain that must be checked: selection, source quality, recency, interpretation, citation, and final claim.

Common misunderstanding

Misconception: adding a source makes every answer true. Correction: retrieval can select the wrong passage and generation can misread or exceed it.

Related concepts

Follow relationships, not only the alphabet

Retrieval-augmented generationRetrieval-augmented generation, or RAG, retrieves relevant material and places it in context for a generative model to use.VerificationVerification is the process of checking whether a claim, output, action, identity, or result is adequately supported for its intended use.Primary sourceA primary source is original evidence or a first-hand record produced by the people, instrument, institution, or process directly involved.

Compare grounding and tool access

Sources and scope

What supports this object

Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework: Generative Artificial Intelligence ProfileU.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology

Supports source, provenance, evaluation and risk controls for generated outputs; supplying context does not guarantee faithful use or source truth.

Open source

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