AI provenance metadata in DOCX custom XML parts

[HMAKT99]

Context

AI-generated Word documents are everywhere — reports, proposals, analyses created by LLMs. But the DOCX format carries no metadata about AI generation, trust level, or source provenance.

python-docx supports custom XML parts (customXml), which is the natural place to store this.

The Question

Is there a recommended pattern for storing custom provenance metadata in DOCX files via python-docx? Specifically:

1. Can customXml parts be read/written through the current API?
2. Is there interest in a helper for AI provenance (e.g., document.core_properties.ai_generated = True)?

Why This Matters

EU AI Act Article 50 (August 2, 2026) requires transparency metadata on AI-generated content. DOCX is a primary format for enterprise content. Having a standard way to mark AI provenance in Word docs is becoming a compliance requirement.

Existing Approach

AKF embeds provenance into DOCX custom XML:

<akf:metadata>{"v":"1.0","claims":[{"c":"Q3 report","t":0.85,"src":"SEC 10-Q"}]}</akf:metadata>

But curious if python-docx has its own approach or if this should be handled at the application level.

[HMAKT99]

Created a working example: python_docx_provenance.py — shows embedding AI provenance in DOCX custom XML using python-docx + AKF.