ISO 23894
The ISO/IEC standard providing guidance on AI risk management processes and methods. It complements ISO 42001 by offering detailed approaches to identifying, analyzing, evaluating, and treating AI-specific risks, going deeper into risk methodology than the management system standard.
Why It Matters
ISO 42001 tells you to manage AI risks; ISO 23894 tells you how. Organizations building serious AI risk management programs need both the management structure and the detailed risk methodology.
Example
An organization certified to ISO 42001 uses ISO 23894's guidance to refine its AI risk assessment methodology, adopting its suggested risk categories (technical, ethical, societal, legal) and risk treatment hierarchy to produce more consistent and thorough risk evaluations.
Think of it like...
If ISO 42001 is the blueprint for building a house, ISO 23894 is the detailed engineering manual for the foundation — it goes deeper into the methodology that keeps the structure sound.
Related Terms
ISO 42001
The first international standard for an AI Management System (AIMS), published by ISO/IEC. It provides a certifiable framework for organizations to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve responsible AI governance. Compatible with other ISO management system standards like ISO 27001.
ISO 22989
The ISO/IEC standard providing a common vocabulary of AI concepts and terminology. It establishes shared definitions that underpin other AI standards in the ISO 42000 series, ensuring that when organizations discuss AI governance, they're speaking the same language.
NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF)
A voluntary framework published by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology that provides structured guidance for managing AI risks through four core functions: Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage. It's designed to be flexible, sector-agnostic, and compatible with other risk management frameworks.