Automatic Document Validity Dating in RAG Systems

The Recency Problem

RAG systems suffer from a critical flaw: they retrieve outdated information with the same confidence as current data. When AI assistants answer questions using obsolete policies, expired contracts, or superseded procedures, they undermine trust and create compliance risks.

Solution: Automated Date Extraction

Our platform automatically assigns "validAsOf" dates to documents by analyzing filenames for embedded dates. The system recognizes common business naming patterns and validates extracted dates before applying fallback logic.

Detection Examples:

• quarterly-report-2024-03-15.pdf → Valid as of March 15, 2024

• policy-update-20240315.docx → Valid as of March 15, 2024

• contract-renewal-2024-Q1.pdf → Valid as of extracted date

• meeting-notes.txt → Falls back to file creation date

Fallback Logic:

1. Extract date from filename (primary method)

2. Use file creation date in Unique platform (fallback)

3. Apply current timestamp (last resort)

Updating Already Uploaded Documents:

This batch script can be used to update the metadata of already uploaded documents to a given set of folders / scopes.

Impact on Knowledge Systems

This validAsOf date can be used to prioritize recent information when selecting context for AI responses. Knowledge Scope Rules can filter searches by time periods, and AI assistants automatically reference current policies instead of historical versions. This creates audit trails for compliance and enables teams to trust automated knowledge retrieval.

Business Benefits:

• AI responses use current, not outdated, information

• Search results prioritize recent documents

• Compliance teams can verify information currency

• Reduced risk of decisions based on obsolete data