ISO 42001 readiness, without the busywork.

What is ISO 42001?

ISO/IEC 42001:2023 defines an AI Management System (AIMS) - a structured way to govern how your organisation builds, buys, and operates AI. It covers AI policy and accountability, risk and impact assessment, data governance, transparency, and controls across the AI lifecycle.

For B2B SaaS, it is becoming a trust signal: a way to show enterprise buyers that your AI is governed, not improvised. It pairs naturally with ISO 27001 and SOC 2.

A readiness path (6 steps)

1. 1
   Run a gap assessment

   Compare your current practices against ISO/IEC 42001 clauses and Annex A controls to find what is missing.
2. 2
   Build an AI inventory

   List every AI system and vendor, its purpose, owner, data, and risk level - the backbone of an AI management system.
3. 3
   Write the AI policy & roles

   Define your AI policy, objectives, and clear accountability for AI decisions and risk.
4. 4
   Do AI risk & impact assessments

   Assess risks and impacts across the AI lifecycle, including to people affected by the system.
5. 5
   Operate controls & collect evidence

   Implement lifecycle controls (data governance, transparency, monitoring) and keep audit-ready evidence.
6. 6
   Internal audit, then certification

   Run an internal audit and management review, then engage an accredited certification body for the external audit.

How Mitravan helps

Mitravan keeps a living AI Inventory and a Framework Mapper that maps one control across ISO 42001, EU AI Act, DPDP, NIST AI RMF and SOC 2 - so you build evidence once and reuse it. When buyers ask ISO 42001 questions in a security review, the Questionnaire Engine answers them in minutes, cited to your evidence, with your team approving before anything ships.

FAQ

What is ISO 42001?

ISO/IEC 42001:2023 is the first international management-system standard for artificial intelligence. It defines how to set up an AI Management System (AIMS) for responsible, governed AI - broadly the way ISO 27001 does for information security.

How is it different from ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 governs information security; ISO 42001 governs AI specifically - AI risk, impact assessment, transparency, data governance, and lifecycle controls. Many controls overlap, so the two are usually pursued together.

Can Mitravan certify me to ISO 42001?

No - certification is issued by an accredited certification body after an external audit. Mitravan helps you get ready: an AI inventory, framework mapping, and audit-ready evidence, plus answering ISO 42001 questions in security questionnaires.

How long does readiness take?

It depends on scope and maturity, but most teams plan a few months from gap assessment to audit-readiness. Reusing existing ISO 27001 / SOC 2 evidence shortens it significantly.