Overview
ISO/IEC 42006:2025 - "Information technology - Artificial intelligence - Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of artificial intelligence management systems" specifies additional requirements to ISO/IEC 17021-1 for third‑party bodies that audit and certify Artificial Intelligence Management Systems (AIMS) under ISO/IEC 42001. The standard helps ensure competence, consistency and reliability of certification bodies and provides transparency and confidence to customers and accreditation or peer‑assessment bodies.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO/IEC 42006:2025 covers process, structural and resource requirements tailored to AI‑specific management systems. Key topics include:
- Scope & principles: Applicability to bodies performing third‑party certification of AIMS and the principles that guide impartiality and competence.
- General requirements: Legal/contractual matters, management of impartiality, conflict of interest rules, liability and financing.
- Structural requirements: Organizational arrangements for certification bodies performing AIMS audits.
- Resource & competence:
- Generic and specific technical competence requirements for auditors and technical experts with AI domain knowledge.
- Personnel records, use of external auditors/experts, and outsourcing controls.
- Information requirements: Public information, certification documentation, confidentiality, and client information exchange.
- Process requirements:
- Pre‑certification activities, audit programming, scope definition, multi‑site and multiple management system considerations.
- Audit planning, team selection, audit objectives, deployment of remote audits and audit time determination.
- Initial certification, surveillance, re‑certification, special audits, and procedures for suspension/withdrawal of certification.
- Management system requirements for certification bodies: Options for implementing a management system (including alignment with ISO 9001).
- Annexes: Annex A (audit time), Annex B (examples for audit time calculation), Annex C (template for certification document).
Practical applications and users
This standard is used by:
- Certification bodies seeking to audit and certify organizations implementing ISO/IEC 42001 AIMS.
- Accreditation bodies and peer assessors using ISO/IEC 42006 as criteria for accreditation or peer assessment.
- Audit teams and technical experts who need guidance on AI‑specific competence, audit planning (including remote audits), and documentation.
- Organizations developing, providing or using AI systems that want assurance their AIMS will be audited consistently and reliably.
Practical benefits include improved audit quality for AI systems, clearer certification documents, and harmonized assessment practices that address AI risks (data quality, security, ethics, validation/verification).
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 42001 - AIMS management system standard (object of certification)
- ISO/IEC 17021‑1 - General requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems (baseline)
- ISO/IEC 17000, 17065, 17067, 17030 - Related conformity assessment and scheme standards referenced for broader conformity assessment contexts
Keywords: ISO/IEC 42006:2025, AIMS certification, AI management systems, certification bodies, audit requirements, ISO/IEC 17021-1, accreditation.