What are data contracts?

Data contracts are formal agreements or specifications that describe the structure, format, and data types exchanged between systems or components. In the context of machine learning and AI, data contracts help ensure data quality and consistency, guaranteeing that the input and output data of models conform to expected formats and requirements.

For example, a data contract may specify that the input data for a model must contain certain fields with specific types (numbers, strings), value ranges, and no missing values. This helps prevent errors related to incorrect or incomplete data and facilitates integration between different services and teams.