Glossary
Analytical drift
Definition
Analytical drift is when the same business question produces different answers depending on who asks it, how it is phrased or which tool answers it.
What it means in practice
Drift has always existed between spreadsheets and dashboards, but AI multiplies it. Every copilot and assistant interprets metrics in its own way, so answers diverge quietly and trust erodes.
The fix is not a better model but shared, governed definitions: when every tool and AI draws on the same certified business context, the same question gets the same answer.
Example
The CFO's AI assistant reports churn of 4.1% while the sales copilot reports 5.3%, because one counts paused accounts and the other does not.