British body tames AI audit frontier with world’s first global standard
The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published the world’s first international standard to help ensure the quality of audits and protect against a ‘wild west’ of unchecked providers in the growing AI market.
Unlike broader AI governance frameworks, the new frameworks are dedicated to AI system certification rather than the AI systems themselves.
The standard establishes “robust governance mechanisms for auditors assessing compliance”, which aims to bring an additional layer of verification and is designed to “strengthen trust in AI governance certifications” and ensure consistency among certifying bodies.
The body stated that “hundreds of firms in the UK” are offering AI assurance services, many provided by AI developers; however, concerns have been raised about independence and rigour of quality.
This comes as the majority of the Big Four accountancy giants are developing a new AI assurance services as they hope to tap into a new revenue stream for their divisions.
The standard will continue to be referenced by accreditation bodies and conformity assessment organisations to support trustworthy AI assurance practices, “helping ensure compliance with evolving global regulatory frameworks”.
Commenting on the guidelines, Mark Thirwell, global digital director, BSI, said: “As companies race to provide AI audit services, there is a risk of a ‘wild west’ of unchecked providers and the potential for radically different levels of assessment.”
“Businesses need to be sure that when their AI management system is being assessed, it is being done in a robust, coherent, and consistent manner. Only this will build much-needed confidence in a safe, secure AI ecosystem.”
Thirwell highlighted “the new guidance, BS ISO/IEC 42006 represents a crucial milestone in global AI accountability, by setting clear certification requirements.”
“This standard will enable regulators, customers, and investors to differentiate credible AI governance implementations from unchecked claims, supporting responsible AI innovation and paving the way for AI to be a force for good,” he added.