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Published in December 2023, ISO/IEC 42001 is the first international standard for an Artificial Intelligence Management System, or AIMS. It gives organisations a structured way to govern AI responsibly.
Where earlier standards focused on quality or information security, ISO/IEC 42001 tackles the risks specific to artificial intelligence: bias and fairness, transparency and explainability, safety, and the impact of automated decisions on individuals, groups and society.
It follows the same high-level structure as ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, so it slots neatly alongside a management system you may already run. Clauses 4 to 10 set the requirements, and Annex A provides 38 reference controls across nine objectives covering the full AI life cycle.
It applies to any organisation that develops, provides or uses AI systems, whether you train your own models, embed a vendor’s API, or deploy AI in a regulated process. The framework maps closely to emerging regulation such as the EU AI Act.
International standard for AI management
First edition, by ISO and IEC
Clauses, numbered 4 to 10
Annex A controls across 9 objectives
178 verification questions in total, grounded in the actual requirements, so nothing is missed.
Record how you audited each item and the objective evidence you examined, for a defensible trail.
Mark each requirement Conforms, Observation, Minor NC or Major NC from a simple drop-down.
See majors, minors and observations at a glance, ready to feed a corrective action.
Conformity rate, nonconformities raised and results by section, updating as you go.
Open it and audit. Standard Excel, no macros, works on desktop and in the browser.
178 verification questions drawn straight from the standard, so your audit is thorough and defensible, not a box-tick.
Grade every result and watch the conformity rate and the count of nonconformities update live.
Front page to capture the audit scope, dates, auditor and auditee.
How to run the audit, the audit method and the results key.
Audit progress, conformity rate, nonconformities and results by section.
Every requirement with its verification questions, plus method, evidence and result.
The same audit approach applied to every Annex A control.
Set the scope, criteria and areas to sample on the Cover sheet.
Work through the questions, gathering objective evidence for each requirement.
Grade each requirement and note the finding or nonconformity detail.
Feed the nonconformities into corrective action and re-audit to close.
A complete, editable ISO 42001 document kit, mapped to the standard and ready to implement, so you never start from a blank page.
Accredited ISO 42001 training for your team, from foundation through lead implementer and lead auditor.
Hands-on help, from a gap assessment to a virtual executive who helps run the system with you.
Not sure what certification will cost? Try the free ISO 42001 cost calculator.
Yes. The tool is offered free for your organisation’s own internal use, with no sign-up wall and no macros. You may use and reproduce it internally, but not sell, rebrand or redistribute it for commercial gain. Full terms are on the Cover sheet.
ISO/IEC 42001:2023, the first edition. It covers management clauses 4 to 10 and all 38 Annex A reference controls.
The tool includes plain-English guidance so you can start straight away. For a formal implementation or certification you should still obtain the official standard from ISO or an authorised reseller. The tool summarises the requirements and is not a substitute for the standard.
Compliance asks whether you meet the requirement today. Maturity asks how embedded, documented and repeatable the approach is. They are rated separately, because you can be compliant on paper yet immature in practice, or maturing but not yet compliant. Rating both gives a truer picture.
No. This self-assessment helps you understand your position and prioritise improvements. Certification can only be granted by an accredited certification body after a formal audit.