# ISO/IEC 42001:2023 A.9.4 — Intended use of AI systems

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-42001-2023/a-9-4-intended-use-of-ai-systems
- Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [ISO/IEC 42001:2023 (AI Management System) Annex A Controls](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-42001-2023) › Organizational controls
- Last updated: 2026-06-05
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

**ISO/IEC 42001:2023**·Annex A `A.9.4`·high·Component: **Organizational controls**

## What this control requires

> AI systems shall be operated within defined intended-use boundaries, and controls shall address foreseeable misuse or abuse.
> 
> — ISO/IEC 42001:2023, Annex A A.9.4

### In plain English

AI systems shall be operated within defined intended-use boundaries, and controls shall address foreseeable misuse or abuse. In practice, this means you can prove you define ai systems-level controls on a defined cadence.

## Why it matters

ISO 42001 is the first audited evidence regulators, customers and investors can ask for that you are managing AI risk. Each Annex A control is a check-box in that audit; it is also the management system enterprises are starting to require from AI vendors before an MSA can be signed.

This control is rated **high**. Auditors expect a named owner, a remediation SLA, and a tooling artefact that evidences continuous operation.

## What an auditor looks for

An ISO 42001 auditor verifies you have an AI policy, a risk-based system of impact assessments for each AI system, lifecycle controls from data acquisition through retirement, and third-party-AI controls that pierce the vendor's wrapper to underlying model behaviour.

Within **Organizational controls**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Annex A A.9.4) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles.

## How to implement

#### Policy Management

**Docs.** Keep each policy in version-controlled Markdown alongside the code that implements it; ship a signed PDF snapshot at each annual review and link the SHA into the SoA.

### Operational checklist

-   **Define.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Use.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Scope:** ai systems.

## Evidence to collect

-   **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document.

Policies and usage controls should demonstrate that AI systems are operated within intended-use boundaries and that foreseeable misuse or abuse is addressed. Focus: Intended use of AI systems.

## Common pitfalls

-   Policies that no engineer has read; the version in Confluence drifts from the version that's actually being enforced.

## How it maps to other frameworks

Computed from shared tags, control component and key-operation subjects — handy when you are reconciling controls across an audit.

-   [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.5.5** — Contact with authorities](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-5-contact-with-authorities)
-   [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) CC4.1** — Control Monitoring](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/cc4-1-control-monitoring)
-   [**ISO/IEC 27701:2025 A.3.15** — Independent review](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27701-2025/a-3-15-independent-review)
-   [**NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 CP-7(4)** — Preparation For Use](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cp-7-4-preparation-for-use)

## Related controls in ISO/IEC 42001:2023

-   [**Annex A A.9.2** — Processes for responsible use of AI systems](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-42001-2023/a-9-2-processes-for-responsible-use-of-ai-systems)
-   [**Annex A A.9.3** — Objectives for responsible use of AI systems](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-42001-2023/a-9-3-objectives-for-responsible-use-of-ai-systems)
-   [**Annex A A.2.2** — Policies for the responsible development or use of AI systems](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-42001-2023/a-2-2-policies-for-the-responsible-development-or-use-of-ai-systems)
-   [**Annex A A.2.4** — Review of policies for responsible AI](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-42001-2023/a-2-4-review-of-policies-for-responsible-ai)
-   [**Annex A A.8.2** — System documentation and information for users](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-42001-2023/a-8-2-system-documentation-and-information-for-users)
-   [**Annex A A.3.3** — Reporting of concerns](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-42001-2023/a-3-3-reporting-of-concerns)

## References

-   [ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 — ISO/IEC 42001:2023](https://www.iso.org/standard/81230.html)
-   Catalogue identifier: `Annex A A.9.4`

Topics: governance riskacceptable usemisuse preventionpolicy managementcontinuous monitoring