Glossary Corner: Must-Know Terms in Gen AI + IDP

Generative AI is redefining Intelligent Document Processing (IDP), but the fast-evolving terminology can be hard to keep up with. Here’s a concise glossary of the most important Gen AI + IDP terms to know.

Intelligent Document Processing (IDP)

AI-driven systems that extract, classify, and interpret data from unstructured documents like invoices, contracts, and forms—going beyond OCR to understand context and meaning.

Generative AI (Gen AI)

AI models that can generate, summarize, classify, and reason over document content, enabling more flexible and intelligent document workflows.

Multimodal AI

Models that understand text, images, tables, and layout together—allowing documents to be processed the way humans read them.

Document Understanding

The ability to interpret intent, semantics, and relationships within documents (e.g., clauses, risks, obligations), not just extract fields.

Zero-Shot & Few-Shot Learning

Techniques that let models handle new document types with little or no sample data, dramatically reducing setup time.

Human-in-the-Loop (HITL)

A collaboration model where humans review or correct AI outputs, improving accuracy, trust, and continuous learning.

Confidence Scoring

A measure of how certain the AI is about its output—used to decide when automation is sufficient or human review is needed.

Straight-Through Processing (STP)

Fully automated document workflows with no manual intervention—made increasingly achievable by Gen AI handling edge cases.

AI Governance

Policies and controls that ensure responsible AI use, covering privacy, security, bias, and regulatory compliance.

Why It Matters

As IDP evolves from automation to intelligence, knowing these terms helps teams evaluate solutions, design better workflows, and scale AI responsibly.