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AIP defines one shared way for platforms, brand agents, and operators to govern commercial participation and settle outcomes.

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Core roles

AIP involves three main actors:
RoleDescription
PlatformAny AI surface that detects user intent and requests commercial participation through an AIP Operator.
Brand AgentA commercial entity’s agent that participates via recommendation or delegation when selected.
OperatorAny entity that implements AIP - governs participation eligibility, runs selection, and verifies outcomes. AdMesh is the reference operator.
Each AIP request moves through these three roles in a predictable flow.

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Core primitive: Participation

Participation is the act of a commercial entity being allowed to influence or execute a user’s decision within an AI system. AIP defines two types of participation:
TypeWhat happensWhen used
RecommendBrand contributes to the AI response. No session transfer.Research, consideration, comparison
DelegateAI hands off the session to a brand agent. User completes a task.Decision, action, transaction
This distinction is what separates AIP from traditional advertising. The protocol governs both influence and execution.

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Decision lifecycle

Below is the lifecycle of an AIP decision, from intent to settlement:
  1. User expresses intent inside an AI conversation.
  2. Platform sends anonymized context to the Operator using a PlatformRequest.
  3. Operator evaluates participation eligibility.
  4. If eligible, Operator runs selection (auction or rules).
  5. Operator determines the interaction mode (recommend or delegate).
  6. Selected brand agent participates - either contributing to the response or receiving a session handoff.
  7. User interacts, completes a task, or does nothing.
  8. Operator verifies the outcome and settles payment.
intent → eligibility → selection → (recommend OR delegate) → outcome → settlement

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Decision lifecycle events

AIP tracks four stages of a decision lifecycle. Only the highest-value event in a lifecycle is billable per serve_token.
StageEventMeaning
Exposure shownexposure_shown (CPX)A commercial response was surfaced to the user
Interaction startedinteraction_started (CPE or CPC)User engaged with the recommendation
Delegation starteddelegation_startedSession handoff was initiated (delegate mode only)
Task completedtask_completed (CPA)User completed a signup, purchase, or other outcome
A lower event upgrades to a higher one if it occurs. No event is billed twice.
MetricMeaning
CPXCost per Exposure
CPECost per Engagement
CPCCost per Click
CPACost per Action

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Verification and settlement

Every AIP event uses a serve_token that links all downstream actions. The serve token is generated once per selection outcome and cannot be reused. This guarantees:
  • one verified charge per lifecycle
  • no double billing
  • consistent upgrade rules (task_completed over interaction_started over exposure_shown)
  • deterministic settlement through connected wallets
Settlements use signed ledger records that both platforms and brands can audit.

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Transparency and compliance

AIP is designed to be simple and verifiable:
  • no personal identifiers required
  • every event is signed
  • works with any operator that supports the schema
  • full audit trail is available to all parties
  • the protocol is transport-agnostic and can coexist with other systems