AI Terminology

AI Terminology
Glossary of physical AI and identity terms

AI terminology is an alphabetical starting point for language used across physical AI, robotics and machine identity. Meanings vary by discipline and technical standard. Each entry below points to an encyclopedia topic for fuller context.

Glossary

Autonomous Systems

Systems capable of executing designated tasks with varying degrees of independence.

Computer Vision

Computational analysis of visual data.

Digital Identity

Digital identifiers, attributes and credentials associated with an entity.

Digital Twins

Digital representations used to model or understand real entities.

Edge AI

AI processing on or near data-producing devices.

Embodied AI

AI that learns or acts through interaction with an environment.

Machine Identity

Identifiers and credentials associated with non-human entities.

Physical AI

AI techniques integrated with physical sensing, control or action.

Public Key Infrastructure

Systems for issuing and managing public-key certificates.

Robot Authentication

Verification of a robot's or component's claimed identity.

Robot Cybersecurity

Security of robotic computers, control and communications.

Sensor Fusion

Combining observations from multiple sensors.

Verifiable Credentials

Structured, verifiable claims in an issuer–holder–verifier ecosystem.

Terminology notes

A robot need not use advanced machine learning, a cryptographic identity does not prove that a machine is physically safe, and autonomous behavior has levels rather than a single universal threshold. The IFR's robot vocabulary and NIST's security publications offer more precise definitions for particular contexts.

Further reading

• Identification — glossary — NIST CSRC

See also

• Robotics
• Machine Identity
• Digital Identity
• Verifiable Credentials
• Physical AI