Skip to content

ISO/IEC 42001

ISO/IEC 42001:2023 is the international standard for AI Management Systems (AIMS). It follows the same high-level structure (HLS) as ISO 27001 and ISO 9001, covering context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement.

Rulestatus encodes all mandatory AIMS clauses. Checks apply to actor: provider regardless of EU AI Act risk level.

Total assertions19
Critical6
Major11
Minor2

Organizational context and AIMS scope are documented

SeverityApplies to
CRITICALactor: provider

Clause 4.1–4.3: The organization shall determine external and internal issues relevant to its purpose, understand the needs and expectations of interested parties, and document the scope of the AIMS.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/aims-scope.yaml with: scope, organizational_context, interested_parties fields.


Interested parties and their AI-relevant requirements are identified

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 4.2: The organization shall determine the interested parties that are relevant to the AIMS and their relevant requirements.

How to fix: Add an interested_parties field to your aims-scope document listing stakeholders and their requirements.


AI policy exists and includes required commitments

SeverityApplies to
CRITICALactor: provider

Clause 5.2: Top management shall establish an AI policy that includes a commitment to satisfy applicable requirements and to continual improvement of the AIMS.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/ai-policy.yaml with: purpose, scope, commitments, approved_by, effective_date.


AI policy is approved by top management

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 5.2: The AI policy shall be available as documented information and be communicated within the organization.

How to fix: Add approved_by and effective_date fields to your AI policy document.


Roles and responsibilities for AI management are assigned

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 5.3: Top management shall assign responsibility and authority for ensuring the AIMS conforms to the requirements of ISO/IEC 42001.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/aims-roles.yaml with: roles, responsibilities, and accountable_person fields.


AIMS-level risks and opportunities are identified and documented

SeverityApplies to
CRITICALactor: provider

Clause 6.1.1: The organization shall determine the risks and opportunities that need to be addressed to give assurance that the AIMS can achieve its intended outcome(s).

How to fix: Create docs/aims/aims-risk-assessment.yaml with: identified_risks, opportunities, and treatment_plan fields.


AI management objectives are documented and measurable

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 6.2: The organization shall establish AI management objectives at relevant functions, levels, and processes. Objectives shall be measurable and have a target date.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/ai-objectives.yaml with: objectives (each with target, measure, review_date).


Competence requirements for AI roles are documented

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 7.2: The organization shall determine the necessary competence of persons doing work under its control that affects its AI performance, ensure they are competent, and retain documented information as evidence.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/competence-requirements.yaml with: roles, required_competencies, and evidence_of_competence fields.


Awareness program for AI policy and AIMS exists

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 7.3: Persons doing work under the organization’s control shall be aware of the AI policy, their contribution to AIMS effectiveness, and the implications of not conforming.

How to fix: Create docs/training/ or docs/aims/ awareness documentation covering AI policy and AIMS obligations.


Document control procedure for AIMS documented information exists

SeverityApplies to
MINORactor: provider

Clause 7.5: The organization shall control documented information required by the AIMS, including creation, update, and availability controls.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/document-control.yaml defining how AIMS documents are created, reviewed, approved, and retained.


Operational planning and control procedures are documented

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 8.1: The organization shall plan, implement, control, evaluate, and maintain the processes needed to meet requirements for the provision of AI systems.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/operational-procedures.yaml documenting development controls, review gates, and deployment approval process.


AI risk assessment process is documented

SeverityApplies to
CRITICALactor: provider

Clause 8.2 + Annex A.5.1: The organization shall implement and maintain an AI risk assessment process including identification of risks, analysis, and evaluation against risk acceptance criteria.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/ai-risk-assessment.yaml with: risk_criteria, assessment_methodology, identified_risks.


AI impact assessment is documented

SeverityApplies to
CRITICALactor: provider

Clause 8.3 + Annex A.5.2: The organization shall conduct and document an AI impact assessment covering potential impacts on individuals, groups, and society.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/ai-impact-assessment.yaml with: impacted_groups, potential_harms, severity_ratings, mitigations.


AI system lifecycle stages are documented

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 8.4 + Annex A.6.1: The organization shall plan and control processes for the AI system lifecycle, including design, development, testing, deployment, monitoring, and decommissioning.

How to fix: Add a lifecycle_stages or development_process field to your technical documentation or create docs/aims/lifecycle.yaml.


Monitoring and measurement program for AIMS is documented

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 9.1: The organization shall monitor, measure, analyse and evaluate the AIMS. It shall determine what needs to be monitored and measured, and when results shall be analysed.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/monitoring-plan.yaml with: metrics, measurement_frequency, responsible_party, review_schedule.


Internal audit program for the AIMS is established

SeverityApplies to
CRITICALactor: provider

Clause 9.2: The organization shall conduct internal audits at planned intervals to provide information on whether the AIMS conforms to requirements and is effectively implemented.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/audit-program.yaml with: audit_schedule, audit_scope, auditor_qualifications, last_audit_date.


Management review of the AIMS is conducted and recorded

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 9.3: Top management shall review the AIMS at planned intervals to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/management-review.yaml with: review_date, attendees, decisions, improvement_actions.


Nonconformity and corrective action procedure exists

SeverityApplies to
MAJORactor: provider

Clause 10.1: When a nonconformity occurs, the organization shall take action to control and correct it, evaluate the need for action to eliminate the causes, and implement corrective action as needed.

How to fix: Create docs/aims/corrective-action.yaml with: nonconformity_process, root_cause_analysis, corrective_action_log.


Continual improvement of the AIMS is planned

SeverityApplies to
MINORactor: provider

Clause 10.2: The organization shall continually improve the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the AIMS.

How to fix: Add a continual_improvement or improvement_plan field to your AIMS scope or AI objectives document.