<-References      Go to ToC      Ecosystem Players->

1 Introduction 2 Technical Specifications 3 Reference Software Specifications
4  Conformance Testing Specifications 5 Performance Assessment Specifications 6 Technical Report

1    Introduction

The technical foundations of the MPAI Ecosystem are currently provided by the following documents developed and maintained by MPAI:

  1. Technical Specification.
  2. Reference Software Specification.
  3. Conformance Testing Specification.
  4. Performance Assessment Specification.
  5. Technical Report

An MPAI Standard is a collection of the 5 document types that includes at least a document of the first type.

2       Technical Specifications

Technical Specifications are of three types:

  1. Management-oriented: address issues regarding the management of Technical Documents, such as this Technical Specification.
  2. System-oriented: address the context in which Application-Oriented Technical Specifications are handled and executed, such as:
    1. AI Framework
    2. Profiles
    3. Qualifiers
    4. Support
  3. Application-oriented: are container standards specifying:
    1. The Functions performed, and the Syntax and Semantics of the input and output data of AI Workflows (AIW) and the corresponding AI Modules (AIM).
    2. The Topology and Connections of the AIMs.

Application-oriented Technical Specifications include:

  1. Normative chapters:
    1. Scope
    2. Definitions
    3. References
    4. AI Workflows
    5. AI Modules
    6. Data Types
  2. Informative chapters:
    1. Foreword
    2. Introduction

The cover page or website shall make reference to Notices and Disclaimers.

Per the Procedures of Work of the MPAI Statutes, the Secretariat collects the Patent Declarations submitted by Members.

3       Reference Software Specifications

The Reference Software Specification related to a Technical Specification establishes the characteristics of the associated Reference Software Implementation, which is composed of:

  1. A source code implementation of the MPAI-AIF or a link to an implementation of MPAI-AIF downloadable from the MPAI website or the MPAI Store.
  2. Optionally, a set of libraries for use by the Reference Software Implementation in a particular execution environment.
  3. Implementations of the Technical Specifications of the AIWs and their AIMs.
  4. Associated JSON metadata of the AIFs, AIWs and their AIMs.
  5. Documentation.

The Reference Software Implementation shall behave in a manner that Conforms with the Technical Specification and is Normative in the sense that the computer code in the Software and the natural language in the Technical Specification specify equivalent functionalities.

The Reference Software Implementations of the AIMs composing the AIWs shall be made available in one or more than one of the following Software Forms:

  1. Source code providing a satisfactory user experience and/or functionality.
  2. Source code that provides a limited user experience, but sufficient to assess the value of the Technical Specification.
  3. Compiled AIMs providing a satisfactory user experience and/or functionality.
  4. Source code software wrapping access to a third-party service enabling a conforming AIM Implementation (Wrapper AIM).

The Reference Software Implementation need not claim that it has passed a clause of the relevant Performance Assessment Specification.

The Reference Software Specification is usually integrated with the Technical Specification. When it is published as a stand-alone document it shall include:

  1. Normative chapters:
    1. Scope
    2. Definitions.
    3. References
    4. Architecture of the Reference Software Implementation.
  2. Informative chapters
    1. Foreword
    2. Introduction.

4       Conformance Testing Specifications

Conformance Testing Specifications allow a user to ascertain whether an implementation is a correct reification of a Technical Specification. i.e.:

  1. If it is an AIW or AIM,
    1. It can technically replace a Conforming AIM or AIW.
    2. It correctly processes Data produced by a conforming AIW or AIM that is of a Data Type and Qualifier of one of its input Data that is of the same Data Type and Qualifier.
    3. It produces Data of a Data Type and Qualifier that is correctly processed by a conforming AIW or AIM that has one of its input Data that is of the same Data Type and Qualifier.
  2. If Data, the Data is correctly processed by a conforming AIW or AIM that has one of its input Data that is of the same Data Type and Qualifier.

MPAI defines  3 Interoperability Levels of an AIW:

Level 1 – The AIW Conforms with the MPAI-AIF Standard.

Level 2 – The AIW Conforms with the MPAI-AIF Standard and an Application-oriented Technical Specification.

Level 3 – The AIW  Conforms with the MPAI-AIF Standard, an Application-oriented Technical Specification, and has been assessed for Performance by a Performance Assessor.

The MPAI Store Tests the Conformance of a submitted AIW implementation to properly label it as a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 Implementation, and making it available for Distribution.

The Conformance Testing Specification is usually integrated with the Technical Specification. When it is published as a stand-alone document it shall include:

  1. Normative chapters:
    1. Scope
    2. Definitions.
    3. References
    4. The Means to Test the Conformance of the relevant AIMs and/or AIW.
  2. Informative chapters
    1. Foreword
    2. Introduction.

5       Performance Assessment Specifications

Performance Assessment Specifications provides Performance Assessors with the Means to Assess the Performance of an Implementation.

The Performance Assessment Specification shall:

  1. Define Reliability, and optionally Replicability, Robustness, and Fairness of an Implementation.
  2. Include the Means used to carry out Performance Assessment for Reliability.
  3. Optionally provide guidelines with respect to Replicability, Robustness, and Fairness of an Implementation.
  4. Specify the minimum amount of information that an Implementer shall provide to the Performance Assessor regarding their Implementation.
  5. Specify the nature and minimum amount of information that a Performance Assessor shall disclose to an Implementer in case the Performance Assessment has failed.

The MPAI Store may record results obtained through a publicly described methodology provided by external experts regarding Replicability, Robustness, and Fairness and post them alongside the metadata of an Implementation.

6       Technical Report

A technical description of the issues and possible solutions regarding an application area, implementation guidelines, etc.

A Technical Report is published as a stand-alone document or a set of web pages. It shall include:

  1. Normative chapters:
    1. Scope
    2. Definitions.
    3. References
    4. Any chapter providing the content of the Technical Report.
  2. Informative chapters
    1. Foreword
    2. Introduction.

<-References      Go to ToC      Ecosystem Players->