ISO 42001

ISO/IEC 42001 is the international standard for AI management systems, specifying requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an AI governance programme.

What is ISO 42001?

ISO/IEC 42001 was published in late 2023 and provides a Plan-Do-Check-Act framework familiar from ISO 27001 and ISO 9001. It covers AI policy, leadership, risk assessment, controls, training, supplier relationships, and management review. Certification is performed by accredited bodies. The standard is voluntary but increasingly used by enterprise buyers as a procurement signal and as evidence of EU AI Act conformity.

How does ISO 42001 apply to enterprise AI?

Enterprises with multiple AI systems benefit from ISO 42001 because it puts AI under the same management-system discipline as security and quality. Vendors selling into regulated buyers should expect to be asked about it.