AI Audit, Controls & Documentation for Organisations Using Artificial Intelligence

AI Audit, Controls & Documentation

When auditors, regulators, clients, or procurement teams ask about artificial intelligence, many organisations discover they cannot answer the most basic questions with confidence. They struggle to explain what AI systems are in use, how associated risks are controlled, or who is accountable for decisions influenced by AI.

This lack of evidence creates exposure. Not because wrongdoing has occurred, but because the organisation cannot demonstrate reasonable control.

This page is for organisations that need to be able to evidence their AI position clearly, calmly, and defensibly when asked.

Why AI audit and documentation have become unavoidable

AI use is increasingly visible in due diligence, audits, regulatory reviews, and client assurance processes. Even where AI adoption has been informal or experimental, expectations around documentation and control remain the same.

Auditors and regulators do not expect perfection. They expect evidence that risks have been identified, responsibilities assigned, and controls put in place proportionate to how AI is actually used. Where this evidence does not exist, uncertainty becomes a liability.

The issue is rarely the technology itself. It is the absence of records.

What “audit-ready” means in practice

Being audit-ready for AI does not mean producing extensive reports or implementing complex frameworks. It means the organisation can explain, in a structured and documented way, what AI systems are in use, how risk is managed, and how decisions are reviewed.

In practice, this involves maintaining a clear inventory of AI systems and tools, documenting identified risks, defining controls and monitoring mechanisms, and ensuring accountability is explicit. Documentation must be coherent enough to withstand external scrutiny, whether from auditors, regulators, clients, or procurement teams.

How we support AI audit and documentation

We help organisations create the documentation and control structures needed to evidence responsible AI use. This work focuses on clarity and defensibility rather than volume.

Typical outcomes include a documented inventory of AI systems, risk registers that reflect real usage, control frameworks aligned to governance and compliance expectations, and monitoring arrangements that demonstrate ongoing oversight. The result is documentation that can be shared confidently in board, audit, or regulatory contexts.

This is not theoretical compliance. It is practical preparation.

AI Audit

We review your AI tools to identify risks and gaps in oversight.

Risk Control

Implementing measures to manage AI risks and ensure accountability.

Clear policies that explain who is responsible for AI decisions.

Documentation

How audit readiness fits within wider AI risk management

Audit and documentation sit at the point where governance, data protection, and employee AI use converge. Without visibility into how AI is used day to day, it is impossible to produce credible audit evidence. Conversely, strong documentation reinforces governance and reduces uncertainty across the organisation.

For this reason, audit readiness is usually addressed alongside AI risk assessment and governance work, using the same factual understanding of AI usage as a foundation.

When organisations should act

Organisations should address AI audit and documentation if they expect external scrutiny, if clients or procurement teams request assurance, or if internal stakeholders cannot confidently explain how AI risk is managed.

Once questions are asked, documentation gaps become visible immediately. Preparing in advance is the only effective response.

Next steps

If your organisation needs to evidence AI controls, accountability, and oversight, the first step is understanding what documentation already exists and where gaps remain.

Prepare for AI audit and review by establishing a clear, defensible record of AI use and control. Audit-ready documentation is easier to maintain when it is anchored in a clear governance framework and policy set. Where these do not yet exist, we pair audit preparation with our AI Policies & Governance Frameworks work so that the organisation is not documenting gaps it has no plan to close.

Contact Us

Reach out to clarify your AI controls and documentation confidently.