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world-models.io
The Knowledge Hub for AI World Models

World Models Glossary

A comprehensive glossary of key terms and concepts in the AI world models ecosystem.

robotics model-based-rl simulation embodied-ai

What is a world model?

A world model is an AI system that learns a predictive representation of how an environment changes over time. It can use observations, actions, or language to estimate future states and possible outcomes before an agent acts. World models support planning in model-based reinforcement learning, robotics, embodied AI, autonomous driving, and interactive simulation. This site catalogs these systems with model records, research papers, benchmark context, and source links. Start with the world models database, compare systems on the leaderboard, or read the Performance Index methodology.

Quick Answer

Short extractable summary preserved directly in static HTML.

  • The glossary defines the recurring concepts, architectures, and technical terms used across world model research and product pages.
  • Use it to resolve terminology quickly, then continue into linked models and research topics for context.

Editorial Trust Signals

Editorial provenance and refresh policy preserved directly in static HTML.

Published by world-models.io editorial board.

Lead editor Bernard Grenat.

This hub publishes stable glossary definitions linked to related models, research topics, and primary sources.

Each editorial page is assembled from primary sources, normalized into extractable summaries, checked for factual drift, and reviewed before publication or major refreshes. Last reviewed: 2026-09-27.

Pages are refreshed when a new paper, benchmark, release, architecture update, or stronger primary source materially changes the answer a reader or AI system should retrieve.

Each page links back to relevant primary sources and keeps a stable canonical URL so readers can verify claims, trace context, and reference the most up-to-date version. See the editorial policy.

Primary sources onlyLast reviewed date visibleMethodology documentedSource links includedCorrection channel publishedReview date visible

External Sources

Primary references and official sources surfaced directly in static HTML for crawlers and no-JS readers.