AI systems are starting to behave less like tools and more like participants in an operating environment. They retrieve data, apply transformations, and trigger downstream actions with increasing autonomy. As discussed in the shift toward machine-operational metadata, these systems are no longer just interacting with documentation, they are interacting with structured, executable context. Identity is what binds these systems together across data, decisions, and execution. In practical terms, identity in AI systems refers to cryptographically verifiable identifiers for agents, datasets, and transformations that enable traceability, accountability, and enforceable governance. The system can describe what exists, including datasets, pipelines, and agents,…