Definition · foundations
world model
world model is a map an agent uses to predict how its world may change after an action. You can spot world model in practice when the record shows what the system observes, what choice it makes, and what changes next, without asking the reader to guess or trust a slogan.
157 definitions656 sourced recordsNamed source: ACL Anthology
Why does world model matter?
Predictions about how actions change the world guide planning, and bad predictions can make a sensible plan fail. For world model, start with three checks: What can the system observe? What choice can it make? What changes after it acts? The answers should point to visible evidence, not a promise.
What does world model look like?
A delivery agent estimates that a road closure will delay one route and chooses another before dispatch. This example makes world model visible by naming the actor, the action, and the result in practice. It is an illustration for readers, not a claim that every product behaves this way.
What is world model easy to confuse with?
A world model predicts state changes. A rule-based environment defines the actual changes through explicit rules. The closest entries here are worker agent, action space, dynamic model. Compare their definitions with world model before using the names as if they mean the same thing. That comparison keeps world model separate from nearby ideas without pretending the boundary is always perfect.
How certain is this definition?
This definition is marked source checked because ACL Anthology supports its main points. The date shows when we last read that source. If you are making a purchase, policy, safety, or design decision, open the source first and make sure its limits fit the decision in front of you.
Who introduced the term world model?
The source shows how world model is used, but it does not prove who said it first. We name an origin only when a dated, direct record supports it. If that record is missing, we leave the question open instead of repeating a popular story as fact.
What should you understand before world model?
Read artificial intelligence (AI) first when world model depends on a more basic idea or mechanism. The link gives you a useful route through the glossary. It does not mean every author teaches the subject in this order, so follow the source when the sequence matters.
What should this term help you answer?
Use world model to ask what an agent can observe, decide, change, remember, or hand off. The questions below turn the definition into a practical check. They are prompts for your own work, not claims made by the source, so change them to fit the system you are examining.
- What can the system observe?
- What choice can it make?
- What changes after it acts?
Which source supports this definition of world model?
ACL Anthology supports this working definition of world model. We checked the link on 2026-07-12. Open the original record for its context, methods, limits, and publication details. The short explanation here is a guide to world model; the linked source remains the evidence to inspect when the wording or boundary matters.
direct supportworld modelChecked 2026-07-12→