ISO certifications for British AI software manufacturers from 2025
The introduction of the European regulation “EU AI Act” is intended to encourage AI providers, AI users, and AI developers (i.e., software manufacturers) to be more responsible. As a result, providers of AI solutions must obtain ISO 42001 certification. In addition, other information security-related certifications such as ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and ISO 27018 are also mandatory to meet the strict requirements of the European Union. As a British AI Startup or mid sized business integrating AI in your business processes, you are increasingly under pressure by the UK government to level up the quality to meet British Standards. Even if at any time a new UK government enters parliament, the UK AI regulatory environment will definately not soften at all. There is currently no general statutory regulation of AI in the UK. Nevertheless various areas of law touch on AI regulation in practice!
Since several certifications may affect the development, use, or provision of artificial intelligence in your company, we will examine the respective options here. It is important to note that the EU AI Act is not the only requirement for an appropriate management system. The European Regulation NIS 2.0 also demands greater compliance within organizations, making various ISO certifications unavoidable.
With the introduction of the new NIS 2.0 regulation and the Digital Services Act, the European Union is forcing AI providers that want to provide their services to European users to comply with new requirements. This requires them to have their own processes and organizational areas certified. As an ambitious startup or established company, you should generally strive to optimize your organizational structures and processes. Here you can find out which ISO certifications AI providers or AI operators need to grow in Europe in compliance with NIS 2.0 and GDPR.
ISO certifications for AI providers
With increasing regulation in the UK as well as the EU and other regions, AI providers must adapt to a new market situation. This makes management system certification increasingly important in the AI industry. The regulatory pressure is also focusing now on companies integrating AI technology into their business processes and products. This eventually makes it necessary to implement an AI Management System (AIMS) in order to be able to proof an effective aI governance. Not implementing an AIMS may lead to loss of customer confidence and loss of capital valuation.
AI Management System for AI Providers (ISO 42001)
The European Union has brought considerable uncertainty to the AI sector with the introduction of NIS 2.0. Anyone developing AI applications or providing AI systems must necessarily deal with ISO 42001. However, NIS 2 has equal priority: large corporations and medium-sized enterprises must submit to new security requirements. The legal and political pressure to obtain ISO 27001 certification has already affected the entire supply chain. Small businesses are “forgotten” due to their often neglected role in the supply chain. However, the requirements of the accreditation bodies compel the auditors of the accredited certification bodies and the audited companies to comply with the NIS 2 supply chain regulations. Thus, there is no escape for SMEs and small capital companies.
This means that SMEs and medium-sized enterprises must also obtain ISO 27001 audits and certifications, as they provide certain critical products or services to large corporations. As more and more software providers offer their products as cloud solutions combined with apps for mobile devices, ISO 27001 certification is becoming mandatory. When using cloud-based AI platforms as part of their AI solution, AI providers also require additional cloud provider certification according to ISO 27018. ISO 27018 cannot be obtained without ISO 27001 certification!
Corporate customers receive neutral proof of information security through ISMS certification according to ISO 27001:2022.
Quality Management for AI providers (ISO 9001)
When developing and operating AI solutions, interfaces to databases and other systems are usually prepared. Software development in the age of cyberattacks (hacking, phishing, and bluesnarfing) requires programmers and coders to adopt ever-improving working methods. Traditional security requirements are no longer sufficient for professional AI providers. Quality standards (ISO 9001:2015) must be adhered to, right from the planning stage of new software or AI-driven technology. Those who wish to offer their AI software as an app on platforms such as Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store should ensure compliance with the specified quality parameters. AI providers can only reliably demonstrate this through a certified quality management system according to ISO 9001.
Information Security for AI providers (ISO 27001)
The European Union has brought considerable uncertainty to the AI sector with the introduction of NIS 2.0. Anyone developing AI applications or providing AI systems must necessarily deal with ISO 42001. However, NIS 2 has equal priority: large corporations and medium-sized enterprises must submit to new security requirements. The legal and political pressure to obtain ISO 27001 certification has already affected the entire supply chain. Small businesses are “forgotten” due to their often neglected role in the supply chain. However, the requirements of the accreditation bodies compel the auditors of the accredited certification bodies and the audited companies to comply with the NIS 2 supply chain regulations. Thus, there is no escape for SMEs and small capital companies.
This means that SMEs and medium-sized enterprises must also obtain ISO 27001 audits and certifications, as they provide certain critical products or services to large corporations. As more and more software providers offer their products as cloud solutions combined with apps for mobile devices, ISO 27001 certification is becoming mandatory. When using cloud-based AI platforms as part of their AI solution, AI providers also require additional cloud provider certification according to ISO 27018. ISO 27018 cannot be obtained without ISO 27001 certification!
Corporate customers receive neutral proof of information security through ISMS certification according to ISO 27001:2022.
Why should you care about certification as a UK based SaaS business?
If you are a SaaS Company based in the UK you might have no longer the feeling that since Brexit you need to care at all about what the European union is getting up to. The UK market is big enough for british startups? Even if you are just starting out with 5 friends, you need to invest the time and effort to design your SaaS governance in a way that you have less issues when eventually authorities decide to inspect your offerings. With the volatility in the political landscape, it is really difficult for entrepreneurs to balance out innovation and compliance. you want to build fast and not get stuck in paperwork. That is where ACATO’s Consultants save you from frustration, wasting your precious time as well as help you keep regulatory costs at bay.
Even small businesses have a chance to get a certification at an affordable price. Furthermore there are a variety of private and state sponsorships for SMEs as well as for young startups. This even includes sponsorships from foundations focusing on helping young entrepreneurs get a fair chance in the often uS dominated tech economy.