Access Alert: Yes, there is an AI Standard, and its number is ISO/IEC 42001

A standard for managing AI in organisations was released in December 2023. This standard, ISO/IEC 42001 Artificial Intelligence – Management System, is designed for any organisation implementing AI management systems, which is “a set of interrelated or interacting elements of an organisation intended to establish policies and objectives, as well as processes to achieve those objectives, in relation to the responsible development, provision or use of AI systems”.

The ISO/IEC 42001 standard provides an approach to establish requirements and guidelines for creating, implementing, managing, and improving AI management systems in organisations. Its release followed discussions and consultations with experts from more than 50 countries after the initial draft was published in November 2022.

ISO/IEC 42001 is meant to provide comprehensive guidance to organisations on how they can use AI responsibly and effectively, using an integrated approach towards managing AI projects, from risk assessment to the effective management of risks.

Beyond ISO/IEC 42001, the International Standards Organisation (ISO) has a number of standards which address AI, including:

• ISO/IEC 22989, which establishes key terms and concepts for AI;
• ISO/IEC 23053, which is an AI/machine learning framework; and
• ISO/IEC 23894, which offers risk management guidelines for AI use in organisations.

Beyond the ISO, other international standards bodies are also working individually and jointly on various aspects of AI, which Access Partnership and the Data Governance Practice are actively monitoring. We are involved in and track technical standards developments in technologies such as cloud computing, AI, and the metaverse, across the different standards forums such as the ISO, IEC, IEEE, and others. If you would like more information on AI standards, or AI risk management approaches, please get in touch with Lim May-Ann at [email protected].