AI Impact Assessment Services
AI Impact Assessments (AIIAs) help organisations identify, evaluate, and manage the risks associated with AI systems.
Do you need an AI Impact Assessment?
If your organisation uses AI to make or support decisions, automate processes, or generate insights that affect people, you are expected to assess the risks. An AI Impact Assessment (AIIA) provides a structured way to identify those risks, understand their impact, and document how they are managed.
You are more likely to need an AI Impact Assessment where AI use is considered high risk. This includes activities such as credit scoring, recruitment, insurance, access to public services, and where systems process sensitive data or operate at scale.
AIIAs, or equivalent risk and impact assessments, are required or expected under a growing number of global regulations, including:
- The EU AI Act
- UK and EU GDPR, where AI use triggers a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)
- US state laws, including emerging requirements in California and Colorado
Even where formal assessments do not apply, regulators still expect organisations to demonstrate responsible AI use. An AIIA gives you that clear and defensible evidence.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AI IMPACT ASSESSMENTS?
AI Impact Assessments often fall to existing roles such as Data Protection Officers (DPOs), compliance leads, or IT, who are already stretched and not equipped with specialist AI expertise. Too often, AIIAs are inconsistent, lack depth, or fail to provide the insight needed to guide effective decision-making. This skills gap can slow AI adoption and hold back innovation, as well as increasing regulatory and operational risk.
Many organisations are starting to recognise the need for a more focused approach. This is where the role of an AI Officer, or Chief AI Officer, is emerging to provide the necessary oversight and strategic direction.
OUR AI IMPACT ASSESSMENT SERVICES
AI Impact Assessments only deliver value when they lead to better decisions and clear next steps. To achieve this, organisations need a structured, consistent approach to assessing and managing AI risk.
Our services provide that structure, giving you clarity and control.
Whether you are deploying a single use case or managing AI systems across multiple teams, we offer flexible support tailored to your organisation.
Choose the level of support that fits your needs
Standalone AI Impact Assessment
Standalone AI Impact Assessment
A structured assessment of a specific AI use case or system, helping you identify risks, meet regulatory requirements, and take clear next steps.
Outsourced AI Officer Services
Outsourced AI Officer Services
Ongoing, fractional support for AI governance. Your dedicated AI Officer oversees AIIAs, implements a structured framework, and ensures a consistent approach as your use of AI grows. See our Outsourced AI Officer Services for more details.
WHY CHOOSE THE DPO CENTRE?
AI GOVERNANCE SERVICES TAILORED TO INDUSTRY SECTORS
The DPO Centre provides specialist AI Governance Services, including AI Impact Assessments, based on your industry sector and unique use of AI technologies.
These are some of the key sectors we work with:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in some cases. AIIA requirements depend on where your organisation operates, what the AI system does, and the level of risk involved. The EU AI Act introduces mandatory impact assessments for high-risk AI, while other frameworks expect organisations to assess and document AI risk.
Ideally before deployment, or before making significant changes to an AI system. Identifying risks early makes them easier and more cost-effective to manage.
An AI Impact Assessment focuses on the risks created by AI systems, including fairness, bias, transparency, and decision-making impact. A Data Protection Impact Assessment focuses on data protection risks, particularly how personal data is processed.
In practice, the two work together. A DPIA addresses data privacy obligations, while an AIIA provides a broader view of AI risk and governance. An AI-focused risk assessment may also help you delve into-AI specific privacy risks more readily than your existing DPIA templates.
Responsibility for AIIAs is often shared across legal, compliance, data protection and technology teams. This can lead to unclear ownership or gaps in oversight.
To address this, many organisations are introducing dedicated roles such as an AI Officer or Chief AI Officer (CAIO). Where this role is not in place, outsourced support can provide the specialist expertise and oversight needed without a full-time hire.
Rupert Edwards
Legal Director of Faculty
‘As thought leaders in the AI sphere, we are champions for the ethical use of novel technology. The DPO Centre’s advice and insight have helped upskill our key staff and strengthen our DPIA process. We look forward to our ongoing work with them.’
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