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Proxy scan

By Updated

A test that trains a model to predict a protected attribute from a system's features; features that predict it strongly are flagged as proxies to justify or remove, and the result is recorded in the data card. It finds proxy variables before an outcome metric shows their effect.

Developed in
ch. 16, Fairness and explainability in the stack
ch. 05, Pattern: Fairness Eval Suite
Chapters
ch. 05, Patterns · ch. 16, Fairness & XAI
Source
Defined by this Body of Knowledge: the section it is developed in is the source

Where it is used

2 chapters of the Body of Knowledge use the term. Each link opens the first section that does.

Proxy scan: mentions per chapter6 mentions of the term across 2 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapter05 Patterns: 1 mention05 Patterns116 Fairness & XAI: 5 mentions16 Fairness & XAI5No mentions in the other 21 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
Proxy scan: mentions per chapter6 mentions of the term across 2 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapter000102030405 Patterns: 1 mention10506070810111213141516 Fairness & XAI: 5 mentions51617181920212223Source: the Body of Knowledge v0.5.0
Mentions per chapter How often each chapter names the term, with the chapters the glossary cross-references drawn solid. The longest bar is where to read the term in use; bars spread across many chapters mark a term that runs through the discipline.
Mentions as a table
Mentions of Proxy scan per chapter
ChapterMentionsCross-referenced
00 Preface0No
01 Definition0No
02 Why Now0No
03 Values & Principles0No
04 The Stack0No
05 Patterns1Yes
06 The Role0No
07 Maturity Model0No
08 Regulatory Map0No
10 Reading List0No
11 AI Defined0No
12 Governance Program0No
13 Risk Management0No
14 Development0No
15 Deployment0No
16 Fairness & XAI5Yes
17 Incidents0No
18 EU AI Act0No
19 Privacy & AI0No
20 Existing Law0No
21 AI Laws Worldwide0No
22 Principles & Standards0No
23 AI Agents0No

Patterns that use this term

One pattern page uses the term.

Proxy scan: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedColour: stack layer of the pattern03 EvalsProxy scanRelated terms (4)Counterfactual flip test · RelatedCounterfactual flip testData card · RelatedData cardFairness policy · RelatedFairness policyProxy variable · RelatedProxy variablePatterns using it (1)Fairness Eval Suite, 3 mentions · Uses the termFairness Eval Suite
Proxy scan: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedColour: stack layer of the pattern03 EvalsRelated terms (4)Counterfactual flip test · RelatedCounterfactual flip testData card · RelatedData cardFairness policy · RelatedFairness policyProxy variable · RelatedProxy variablePatterns using it (1)Fairness Eval Suite, 3 mentions · Uses the termFairness Eval SuiteProxy scan
The term's neighbourhood Terms related to this one on solid edges, terms it is often confused with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer. Follow a dashed edge to check the distinction before you use either term.
Neighbourhood as a table
Neighbourhood of Proxy scan
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsCounterfactual flip testRelated
Related termsData cardRelated
Related termsFairness policyRelated
Related termsProxy variableRelated
Patterns using itFairness Eval Suite, 3 mentionsUses the term
  • Counterfactual flip test

    A test that changes only a protected attribute in an input, or swaps identity terms in otherwise identical prompts, and measures how often the outcome or the…

  • Fairness policy

    The per-system record, fixed before results are seen, of what fairness means for that system: the protected attributes in each jurisdiction and where their…

  • Proxy variable

    A feature that carries the information of a protected characteristic, such as postcode for ethnicity, so that a model can discriminate without using the…

  • Data card

    Structured, versioned documentation of a dataset (provenance, lawful basis, rights, composition and known limitations) maintained as code alongside the system.

Sources

No external source: the term is coined or used in a specific sense by this Body of Knowledge, and the section linked under "Developed in" is its source.

Definitions of legal terms paraphrase the cited text, which governs. Dated statements are as of .

Cite this term

García Aibar, J. (2026). Proxy scan. In AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis & Body of Knowledge (v0.5.0), Glossary. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197. https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/proxy-scan. CC BY 4.0

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026proxyscan,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{Proxy scan}},
  note    = {Glossary, AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis \& Body of Knowledge, version 0.5.0},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.22956197},
  url     = {https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/proxy-scan}
}