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AI system impact assessment

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An assessment of how an AI system and its foreseeable applications may affect individuals, groups and society, performed across the lifecycle and updated as needed; ISO/IEC 42005:2025 gives the guidance 1. Often called an AI impact assessment (AIIA).

Developed in
ch. 14, Impact assessments compared
Chapters
ch. 14, Development
Contrast with
FRIA
Put it to work
AI impact assessment builder · Impact assessment template and schema
Source
1 numbered reference, listed below

Where it is used

5 chapters of the Body of Knowledge use the term. Each link opens the first section that does.

AI system impact assessment: mentions per chapter8 mentions of the term across 5 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter08 Regulatory Map: 3 mentions08 Regulatory Map313 Risk Management: 1 mention13 Risk Management114 Development: 1 mention14 Development121 AI Laws Worldwide: 2 mentions21 AI Laws Worldwide222 Principles & Standards: 1 mention22 Principles & Standards1No mentions in the other 18 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
AI system impact assessment: mentions per chapter8 mentions of the term across 5 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter000102030405060708 Regulatory Map: 3 mentions30810111213 Risk Management: 1 mention11314 Development: 1 mention11415161718192021 AI Laws Worldwide: 2 mentions22122 Principles & Standards: 1 mention12223Source: the Body of Knowledge v0.5.0
Mentions per chapter How often each chapter names the term, with the chapters the glossary cross-references drawn solid. The longest bar is where to read the term in use; bars spread across many chapters mark a term that runs through the discipline.
Mentions as a table
Mentions of AI system impact assessment per chapter
ChapterMentionsCross-referenced
00 Preface0No
01 Definition0No
02 Why Now0No
03 Values & Principles0No
04 The Stack0No
05 Patterns0No
06 The Role0No
07 Maturity Model0No
08 Regulatory Map3No
10 Reading List0No
11 AI Defined0No
12 Governance Program0No
13 Risk Management1No
14 Development1Yes
15 Deployment0No
16 Fairness & XAI0No
17 Incidents0No
18 EU AI Act0No
19 Privacy & AI0No
20 Existing Law0No
21 AI Laws Worldwide2No
22 Principles & Standards1No
23 AI Agents0No

Patterns that use this term

One pattern page uses the term.

AI system impact assessment: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastColour: stack layer of the pattern01 Govern-as-CodeAI system impact assessmentRelated terms (4)AI system · RelatedAI systemAlgorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) · RelatedAlgorithmic Impact AssessmentBias audit (NYC Local Law 144) · RelatedBias auditISO/IEC 42005 · RelatedISO/IEC 42005Contrast with (1)FRIA · ContrastFRIAPatterns using it (1)FRIA-as-Code, 7 mentions · Uses the termFRIA-as-Code
AI system impact assessment: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastColour: stack layer of the pattern01 Govern-as-CodeRelated terms (4)AI system · RelatedAI systemAlgorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) · RelatedAlgorithmic Impact AssessmentBias audit (NYC Local Law 144) · RelatedBias auditISO/IEC 42005 · RelatedISO/IEC 42005Contrast with (1)FRIA · ContrastFRIAPatterns using it (1)FRIA-as-Code, 7 mentions · Uses the termFRIA-as-CodeAI system impactassessment
The term's neighbourhood Terms related to this one on solid edges, terms it is often confused with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer. Follow a dashed edge to check the distinction before you use either term.
Neighbourhood as a table
Neighbourhood of AI system impact assessment
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsAI systemRelated
Related termsAlgorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA)Related
Related termsBias audit (NYC Local Law 144)Related
Related termsISO/IEC 42005Related
Contrast withFRIAContrast
Patterns using itFRIA-as-Code, 7 mentionsUses the term
  • Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA)

    The assessment Canada's Directive on Automated Decision-Making requires before a federal automated decision system goes into production.

  • Bias audit (NYC Local Law 144)

    An independent audit, required within the year before an employer uses an automated employment decision tool in New York City, that reports selection or…

  • ISO/IEC 42005

    ISO/IEC 42005:2025, the AI system impact-assessment standard (a companion to the AI Act's Article 27 FRIA and to ISO/IEC 42001 Annex A.5), giving a structured…

  • AI system

    For governance, the object the AI definition brings into scope.

Sources

  1. [1] ISO/IEC 42005:2025, AI system impact assessment (companion to Art. 27 and ISO 42001 Annex A.5). ISO/IEC. 2025-05. https://www.iso.org/standard/44545.html (verified: secondary)

Definitions of legal terms paraphrase the cited text, which governs. Dated statements are as of .

Cite this term

García Aibar, J. (2026). AI system impact assessment. In AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis & Body of Knowledge (v0.5.0), Glossary. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197. https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/ai-system-impact-assessment. CC BY 4.0

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026aisystemimpactassessment,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{AI system impact assessment}},
  note    = {Glossary, AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis \& Body of Knowledge, version 0.5.0},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.22956197},
  url     = {https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/ai-system-impact-assessment}
}