AI Applicability Tags provide a mechanism for identifying the Governance applicable to an AI system according to its Purpose, Capability, Form, Distribution, Jurisdiction, Domain, User, Operational Context, and other relevant attributes, thereby forming the Applicable Governance Set.

The starting point is the Universal Baseline. The Universal Baseline provides a minimum Governance Foundation common to all I2EA-governed AI, independent of any particular Purpose, Capability, or form of distribution. Whether the system is a Closed Model, Open Source Model, Application, or Agent, participation in the I2EA Governance Ecosystem requires connection to this common baseline.

Connection to the Universal Baseline can also be associated with Model Registration. Model Identity, Version, Provider / Maintainer, Provenance, and related attributes can be made identifiable so that the relationship between a particular AI system and its Universal Baseline can be verified. However, Registration ≠ Safety Certification. Registration does not establish that an AI system is safe. It provides a verifiable foundation for Governance Identity and connection to the Baseline.

Above the Universal Baseline, an AI system carries Applicability Attributes corresponding to its actual Deployment and Service Context. For example, an Image-generation AI provided in Japan may be associated with Japan and Image applicability, while use in Healthcare would add Healthcare applicability. These classifications are not mutually exclusive. They accumulate through Cumulative Applicability.

Each Jurisdiction may establish Governance Requirements for AI systems deployed or providing services within its scope, based on its own legitimate Governance Authority. Additional Governance may apply according to Sector, Protected Subject, Organization, Purpose, or other Context. The Universal layer does not determine national Policy. Governance Authority remains with the respective legitimate Authorities, while Governance is connected through a common Machine-Readable Structure.

Universal, Jurisdictional, Capability, Domain, User, Purpose, Organizational, and other applicable attributes are then combined to form the Applicable Governance Set required for the AI system and its Execution Context. As Capability, Context, Jurisdiction, or other relevant conditions change, applicable Tags can be added or updated accordingly.

Where the required Universal Baseline or Applicable Governance Tags are missing or cannot be verified, the AI system should not automatically be classified as unsafe. Instead, I2EA treats it as having an Unverified Governance Status, indicating that its Governance Baseline or Applicable Governance cannot be verified.

Open Source distribution therefore does not constitute an exemption from Governance. At the same time, the Universal Baseline is not a mechanism for imposing a single Global Policy.

Universal Baseline provides the common governance foundation; applicability determines what additional governance applies.

This relationship is analogous to the distinction between HTTP and HTTPS. An Unverified Governance Status does not mean that the AI system is inherently unsafe. Rather, it indicates that its connection to the required Governance Baseline cannot be verified.