The AI Capability Model (6C) Explained

The AI Capability Model, often shortened to the 6C model, is one of the genuinely new additions in ITIL v5, and it's an area where most free study resources are thin or outdated because it simply didn't exist before this version. It describes six capabilities organisations need to responsibly and effectively use AI within their products and services.

Creation refers to the capability to build or train AI models and systems — the technical development side of AI, including data preparation and model training.

Curation covers managing the data and knowledge that feeds AI systems — ensuring the information used to train and operate AI is accurate, relevant, well-organised, and appropriately governed.

Cognition is the capability of the AI system itself to process information, reason, and generate outputs — essentially, how well the AI can actually 'think' within its intended scope.

Clarification is the capability to explain and interpret what an AI system is doing and why — closely tied to explainability and transparency, so stakeholders can understand AI-driven decisions rather than treating them as an unaccountable black box.

Communication is the capability to effectively convey AI-related information — insights, decisions, limitations, and risks — to the humans who need to understand and act on them, in a way they can actually use.

Coordination is the capability to integrate AI effectively into broader organisational workflows and human processes, ensuring AI and human effort work together rather than in isolation or conflict.

The exam is more likely to test recognition — matching a scenario to the correct capability — than asking you to list all six from memory. A good preparation approach is to be able to explain, in one sentence, what distinguishes each C from its neighbours, since several sound conceptually similar at first glance.