Definition
AI standards (ISO/IEC) are voluntary, expert-agreed rulebooks for building and governing AI responsibly — and ISO/IEC 42001 is the first you can be certified against.
At a glance
- ISO/IEC 42001 (Dec 2023) is the first AI management standard you can be formally certified against, in any industry.
- It runs on a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle covering AI risk, impact, lifecycle, and vendor oversight.
- ISO/IEC 23894 is its companion guide for spotting AI-specific risks: bias, opacity, unreliable outputs.
- Voluntary, but certification proves responsible AI to customers and regulators.
Who writes them
ISO and IEC’s joint committee (JTC 1/SC 42) has published dozens of AI standards[5]. They’re voluntary playbooks built by experts, so you don’t invent AI governance from scratch.
The two that matter
ISO/IEC 42001 is the headline: the only AI management standard an accredited auditor can certify you against, like ISO 9001 or 27001[1]. It sets up ongoing processes for risk, impact, and vendor oversight[2]. ISO/IEC 23894 is the risk-focused companion, covering bias, opaque models, and unreliable behavior across an AI system’s life[3].
Why it matters to you
Certification turns a vague promise into independent proof — a trust signal in deals and procurement. It also maps closely onto EU AI Act requirements, so your controls carry over[4]. But certification is a head start, not automatic legal compliance.
Bottom line
ISO/IEC 42001 lets you prove trust today and prepare for laws like the EU AI Act tomorrow — just remember it’s the start of compliance, not the end.