diff --git a/src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions/Contents/AIContentRegistry.cs b/src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions/Contents/AIContentRegistry.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f430608b034
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions/Contents/AIContentRegistry.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+// Licensed to the .NET Foundation under one or more agreements.
+// The .NET Foundation licenses this file to you under the MIT license.
+
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Concurrent;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Reflection;
+using System.Text.Json;
+using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
+using System.Text.Json.Serialization.Metadata;
+using Microsoft.Shared.Diagnostics;
+
+#pragma warning disable SA1204 // Static elements should appear before instance elements
+
+namespace Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Contents;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Provides a global registry for custom AI content types and their
+/// discriminator IDs for use in System.Text.Json polymorphic serialization.
+/// </summary>
+public static class AIContentRegistry
+{
+    private static readonly ConcurrentDictionary<Type, (string DiscriminatorId, IJsonTypeInfoResolver? Resolver)> _registry = new();
+    private static readonly Dictionary<string, Type> _discriminatorIdToType = typeof(AIContent)
+        .GetCustomAttributes<JsonDerivedTypeAttribute>()
+        .ToDictionary(attr => (string)attr.TypeDiscriminator!, attr => attr.DerivedType);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Registers a custom AI content type with a discriminator ID.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <typeparam name="TContent">The custom content type to be generated.</typeparam>
+    /// <param name="typeDiscriminatorId">The type discriminator associated with the type.</param>
+    /// <param name="resolver">The contract resolver used for the specified derived type.</param>
+    public static void RegisterCustomAIContentType<TContent>(string typeDiscriminatorId, IJsonTypeInfoResolver? resolver = null)
+        where TContent : AIContent
+    {
+        _ = Throw.IfNull(typeDiscriminatorId);
+        RegisterCore(typeof(TContent), typeDiscriminatorId, resolver);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Registers a custom AI content type with a discriminator ID.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="contentType">The custom content type to be generated.</param>
+    /// <param name="typeDiscriminatorId">The type discriminator associated with the type.</param>
+    /// <param name="resolver">The contract resolver used for the specified derived type.</param>
+    public static void RegisterCustomAIContentType(Type contentType, string typeDiscriminatorId, IJsonTypeInfoResolver? resolver = null)
+    {
+        _ = Throw.IfNull(contentType);
+        _ = Throw.IfNull(typeDiscriminatorId);
+
+        if (!typeof(AIContent).IsAssignableFrom(contentType))
+        {
+            Throw.ArgumentException(nameof(contentType), "The content type must derive from AIContent.");
+        }
+
+        RegisterCore(contentType, typeDiscriminatorId, resolver);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Creates a <see cref="IJsonTypeInfoResolver"/> wrapper that applies the configuration of the registry over the specified resolver.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="resolver">The underlying resolver over which to apply configuration from the registry.</param>
+    /// <returns>A new <see cref="IJsonTypeInfoResolver"/> that applies the configuration from the registry.</returns>
+    public static IJsonTypeInfoResolver ApplyAIContentRegistry(this IJsonTypeInfoResolver resolver)
+    {
+        _ = Throw.IfNull(resolver);
+        return new AIContentRegistryResolver(resolver);
+    }
+
+    private static void RegisterCore(Type contentType, string typeDiscriminatorId, IJsonTypeInfoResolver? resolver)
+    {
+        if (contentType.Assembly == typeof(AIContent).Assembly)
+        {
+            Throw.ArgumentException(nameof(contentType), "Cannot register built-in AI content types.");
+        }
+
+        ValidateConfiguration(contentType, typeDiscriminatorId, resolver, out bool alreadyRegistered);
+        if (alreadyRegistered)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        lock (_registry)
+        {
+            ValidateConfiguration(contentType, typeDiscriminatorId, resolver, out alreadyRegistered);
+            if (alreadyRegistered)
+            {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            bool success = _registry.TryAdd(contentType, (typeDiscriminatorId, resolver));
+            _discriminatorIdToType.Add(typeDiscriminatorId, contentType);
+            Debug.Assert(success, "must not conflict with other entries.");
+        }
+
+        static void ValidateConfiguration(Type contentType, string typeDiscriminatorId, IJsonTypeInfoResolver? resolver, out bool alreadyRegistered)
+        {
+            alreadyRegistered = false;
+            if (_registry.TryGetValue(contentType, out var existing))
+            {
+                if (existing == (typeDiscriminatorId, resolver))
+                {
+                    // We have an equivalent registration, return early.
+                    alreadyRegistered = true;
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                throw new InvalidOperationException($"The content type '{contentType.FullName}' has already been registered with conflicting configuration.");
+            }
+
+            if (_discriminatorIdToType.TryGetValue(typeDiscriminatorId, out Type? existingType))
+            {
+                throw new InvalidOperationException($"The discriminator ID '{typeDiscriminatorId}' conflicts with that of '{existingType}'.");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private sealed class AIContentRegistryResolver(IJsonTypeInfoResolver underlying) : IJsonTypeInfoResolver
+    {
+        public JsonTypeInfo? GetTypeInfo(Type type, JsonSerializerOptions options)
+        {
+            JsonTypeInfo? typeInfo = GetTypeInfoCore(type, options);
+
+            if (typeInfo is not null && typeInfo.Type == typeof(AIContent))
+            {
+                ModifyAIContentTypeInfo(typeInfo);
+            }
+
+            return typeInfo;
+        }
+
+        private JsonTypeInfo? GetTypeInfoCore(Type type, JsonSerializerOptions options)
+        {
+            JsonTypeInfo? typeInfo = underlying.GetTypeInfo(type, options);
+            if (typeInfo is not null)
+            {
+                return typeInfo;
+            }
+
+            foreach (var kvp in _registry)
+            {
+                if (kvp.Value.Resolver is { } resolver)
+                {
+                    typeInfo = resolver.GetTypeInfo(type, options);
+                    if (typeInfo is not null)
+                    {
+                        return typeInfo;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        private static void ModifyAIContentTypeInfo(JsonTypeInfo typeInfo)
+        {
+            Debug.Assert(typeInfo.Type == typeof(AIContent), "Should only be used for AIContent types.");
+            if (typeInfo.PolymorphismOptions is null)
+            {
+                Debug.Assert(typeInfo.Kind is JsonTypeInfoKind.None, "A custom converter should have been applied for the type.");
+                return;
+            }
+
+            foreach (var entry in _registry)
+            {
+                typeInfo.PolymorphismOptions.DerivedTypes.Add(new(entry.Key, entry.Value.DiscriminatorId));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions/Utilities/AIJsonUtilities.Defaults.cs b/src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions/Utilities/AIJsonUtilities.Defaults.cs
index de2c2a695b6..aba0bcc65a8 100644
--- a/src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions/Utilities/AIJsonUtilities.Defaults.cs
+++ b/src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions/Utilities/AIJsonUtilities.Defaults.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 using System.Text.Json.Nodes;
 using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
 using System.Text.Json.Serialization.Metadata;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Contents;
 
 namespace Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
 
@@ -25,24 +26,29 @@ private static JsonSerializerOptions CreateDefaultOptions()
         // and we want to be flexible in terms of what can be put into the various collections in the object model.
         // Otherwise, use the source-generated options to enable trimming and Native AOT.
 
+        JsonSerializerOptions options;
+
         if (JsonSerializer.IsReflectionEnabledByDefault)
         {
             // Keep in sync with the JsonSourceGenerationOptions attribute on JsonContext below.
-            JsonSerializerOptions options = new(JsonSerializerDefaults.Web)
+            options = new(JsonSerializerDefaults.Web)
             {
-                TypeInfoResolver = new DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver(),
+                TypeInfoResolver = new DefaultJsonTypeInfoResolver().ApplyAIContentRegistry(),
                 Converters = { new JsonStringEnumConverter() },
                 DefaultIgnoreCondition = JsonIgnoreCondition.WhenWritingNull,
                 WriteIndented = true,
             };
-
-            options.MakeReadOnly();
-            return options;
         }
         else
         {
-            return JsonContext.Default.Options;
+            options = new(JsonContext.Default.Options)
+            {
+                TypeInfoResolver = JsonContext.Default.ApplyAIContentRegistry()
+            };
         }
+
+        options.MakeReadOnly();
+        return options;
     }
 
     // Keep in sync with CreateDefaultOptions above.
diff --git a/test/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions.Tests/Contents/AIContentRegistryTests.cs b/test/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions.Tests/Contents/AIContentRegistryTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1bddd848486
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions.Tests/Contents/AIContentRegistryTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+// Licensed to the .NET Foundation under one or more agreements.
+// The .NET Foundation licenses this file to you under the MIT license.
+
+using System;
+using System.Text.Json;
+using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Contents;
+
+public static partial class AIContentRegistryTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public static void DerivedAIContent_SerializeUsingRegistry()
+    {
+        JsonSerializerOptions options = AIJsonUtilities.DefaultOptions;
+
+        AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType<DerivedAIContent>("derivativeContent", DerivedAIContentContext.Default);
+        AIContent c = new DerivedAIContent();
+
+        JsonElement expectedJson = JsonDocument.Parse("""{"$type":"derivativeContent"}""").RootElement;
+        JsonElement json = JsonSerializer.SerializeToElement(c, options);
+        Assert.True(JsonElement.DeepEquals(expectedJson, json));
+
+        AIContent? deserialized = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<AIContent>(json, options);
+        Assert.IsType<DerivedAIContent>(deserialized);
+    }
+
+    private sealed class DerivedAIContent : AIContent;
+
+    [JsonSerializable(typeof(DerivedAIContent))]
+    private partial class DerivedAIContentContext : JsonSerializerContext;
+
+    [Fact]
+    public static void RegisterCustomAIContentType_NonAIContent_ThrowsArgumentException()
+    {
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType(typeof(int), "discriminator"));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType(typeof(object), "discriminator"));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType(typeof(ChatMessage), "discriminator"));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public static void RegisterCustomAIContentType_BuildInAIContent_ThrowsArgumentException()
+    {
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType<AIContent>("discriminator"));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType<TextContent>("discriminator"));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public static void RegisterCustomAIContentType_ConflictingIdentifier_ThrowsInvalidOperationException()
+    {
+        Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType<DerivedAIContent2>("text"));
+        Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType<DerivedAIContent2>("audio"));
+
+        AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType<DerivedAIContent2>("discriminator");
+        AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType<DerivedAIContent2>("discriminator"); // Matching configurations are idempotent.
+        Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType<DerivedAIContent2>("discriminator2"));
+    }
+
+    private sealed class DerivedAIContent2 : AIContent;
+
+    [Fact]
+    public static void NullArguments_ThrowsArgumentNullException()
+    {
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType<DerivedAIContent3>(null!));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType(typeof(DerivedAIContent3), null!));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => AIContentRegistry.RegisterCustomAIContentType(null!, "discriminator"));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => AIContentRegistry.ApplyAIContentRegistry(null!));
+    }
+
+    private sealed class DerivedAIContent3 : AIContent;
+}