What Counts as a World Model?

The article is a question posed by a user, likely on a machine learning forum. It reflects the ongoing ambiguity in the field about what constitutes a world model, a term borrowed from cognitive science and reinforcement learning. The user lists several candidates—video generation models, physics engines, emulators, and digital twins—and asks whether any of these qualify. A definition is cited that emphasizes learned representations over hand-crafted physics, which would include ML-based fluid simulators. However, the article does not resolve the question, leaving it open for discussion. This uncertainty matters for businesses because the term is used loosely in product marketing, and understanding the technical distinction can help in evaluating AI capabilities.