Governance

Model provider

Entity that develops, trains, or supplies models.

How the laws define this

Regulatory frameworks consistently identify a model provider as an entity, vendor, or organization that develops, hosts, maintains, supplies, or operates AI models or model-based services, assigning them core duties related to security controls and usage terms. The primary divergence lies in how these obligations are structured and enforced across jurisdictions and sectors. Under Proyecto de Ley Estatutaria No.154 de 2024, model providers are subject to formal legal obligations, including producing model cards, dataset documentation, transparency, security testing, conformity evidence, and pre-deployment and post-market compliance. By contrast, the Interim Generative AI guidance for the public service and the Generative AI Guidelines for Government (SDAIA) frame provider obligations as contractual and procurement requirements centered on vendor due diligence, data handling, incident response, and usage terms for government agencies. Finally, Yapay Zeka ve Eğitim: Öğretmenler İçin Uygulamalı Prompt Mühendisliği ve Üretken Araçlarla Yenilikçi Öğrenme Stratejileri (Teacher Guide) applies vendor review principles to schools while explicitly extending the provider concept to cover open-source projects alongside commercial vendors.

Synthesised from the 4 statutory definitions below. Each one is quoted in full, with its source.

How jurisdictions differ

What is distinctive in each definition, binding law in force first. Showing 3 of the 4 instruments that define this term; all are listed under Definitions below.

Jurisdiction	Instrument	Status	What is distinctive
Saudi Arabia	Generative AI Guidelines for Government (SDAIA)	In Force	Limits to Generative AI models supplied to government bodies, recommending vendor due diligence and contractual clauses on security, data handling, provenance, and incident response.
Turkey	Artificial Intelligence and Education: Practical Prompt Engineering and Innovative Learning Strategies for Teachers	In Force	Limits to AI models or services used by schools, adding vendor review of security, data retention policies, and terms of service during procurement.
Colombia	Statutory bill to define and regulate AI	Under Review	Adds responsibilities for producing model cards and dataset documentation, plus pre-deployment and post-market obligations like transparency and security testing.

What it triggers

In Saudi Arabia, under the Generative AI Guidelines for Government, model providers to government bodies are subject to vendor due diligence and contractual clauses on security, data handling, provenance disclosure, and incident response.source
In Turkey, under Artificial Intelligence and Education guidelines, model providers to schools are reviewed for security, retention policies, and terms of service as part of procurement and oversight.source
In Colombia, under the proposed statutory bill, model providers would bear obligations to produce model cards, dataset documentation, and comply with pre-deployment and post-market requirements including transparency and security testing.source

Definitions (4)

An entity that develops, trains, fine‑tunes, or supplies AI models (including third‑party suppliers) and is responsible for producing model cards, dataset documentation, and complying with pre‑deployment and post‑market obligations described in the bill. Model providers bear obligations related to transparency, security testing and conformity evidence.

Proyecto de Ley Estatutaria No.154 de 2024: Por la cual se define y regula la Inteligencia Artificial (Statutory bill to define and regulate AI)Definition 1 of 4

The supplier, vendor or organisation that develops, hosts, maintains or supplies a model (or model-as-a-service) and is responsible for contractual obligations, updates, security controls and agreed usage terms when an agency uses their model.

Interim Generative AI guidance for the public serviceDefinition 2 of 4

Entities or vendors that develop, host, supply, or operate Generative AI models or related services to government bodies; subject to vendor due diligence, contractual clauses on security, data handling, provenance disclosure, and incident response obligations as set out in the Guidelines.

Generative AI Guidelines for Government (SDAIA)Definition 3 of 4

An entity supplying AI models or services (commercial vendors or open‑source projects) used by schools. The guide advises vendor review of security, retention policies, and terms of service as part of procurement and oversight.

Yapay Zeka ve Eğitim: Öğretmenler İçin Uygulamalı Prompt Mühendisliği ve Üretken Araçlarla Yenilikçi Öğrenme Stratejileri (Teacher Guide)Definition 4 of 4

Not to be confused with

Provider / Developer

Provider/Developer focuses on designing or creating AI systems and models, while model provider emphasizes supplying or operating them with compliance duties.

AI provider

AI provider covers developing or supplying any AI system, whereas model provider specifically targets models with obligations like model cards and testing.

GPAI provider

GPAI provider is narrowly defined under the EU AI Act for general-purpose models, unlike the broader or context-specific model provider definitions here.

Questions and answers

What obligations do model providers have to Saudi government bodies?

Model providers undergo vendor due diligence and agree to contractual clauses covering security, data handling, provenance disclosure, and incident response as set out in the Generative AI Guidelines for Government.

How should schools in Turkey evaluate model providers?

Schools should review model providers for security measures, data retention policies, and terms of service as part of procurement and oversight when using AI models or services.

What transparency duties would apply to model providers in Colombia?

Model providers would need to produce model cards and dataset documentation, and comply with pre-deployment and post-market obligations including transparency and security testing under the proposed bill.