Final Report: Disambiguating AI Systems and AI Models

The aim of our project is to survey the existing definitions of the terms “AI System” and “AI Model” and to propose our own definitions. Clear and unambiguous definitions are particularly important for enabling effective enforcement of AI legislation, such as the EU AI Act. To this end, we conducted a systematic literature review and a manual review of regulatory, standards, and policy documents. The systematic review screened aproximately 900 academic papers published between 2012 and 2025, from which 25 definitions of AI models and 57 definitions of AI systems were identified. In parallel, the manual review examined definitions used by intergovernmental organisations, standards bodies, national governments, and NGOs, tracing how a small number of root formulations have been reused and adapted across institutional contexts. Building on these analyses, we developed criteria for evaluating definitions and articulated proposed conceptual distinctions between AI systems and AI models intended to reduce ambiguity at their boundary.