{"slug":"technical-documentation-and-model-cards","id":"AIPT-CTL-0024","title":"Technical documentation, model cards and instructions for use","kind":"process","kind_label":"Process","purpose":"Produces and maintains the documentation that lets a regulator, a customer or a deployer understand what a system is, how it was built and tested, what it is for and how to use it safely.\n","description":"A documentation set is started at design time and grows with the system: intended purpose and out-of-scope uses, architecture and dependencies, training and evaluation data, performance results and their limits, known risks and mitigations, oversight measures and the resources needed to operate it. From the same source the team derives a shorter model card or deployer information pack and the instructions for use that ship with each release. Documents live under version control, each release tags the version it was assessed against, and an owner is responsible for updating them whenever the system changes materially.\n","owner_role":"Product or model owner","frequency":"on_material_change","frequency_label":"At launch and on material change","risk_subdomains":["7.4","5.1","7.3"],"evidence":[{"type":"technical_file","title":"Technical documentation file","description":"Assembled, versioned documentation of design, data, testing, risks and oversight for one system."},{"type":"model_documentation","title":"Model card or deployer information pack","description":null},{"type":"disclosure_notice","title":"Instructions for use","description":"User-facing document describing purpose, limits, oversight measures and how to interpret output."}],"framework_references":[{"framework":"iso_42001","framework_name":"ISO/IEC 42001:2023","reference":"Clause 7.5; Annex A.6.2.3, A.6.2.7, A.8.2","note":null,"confidence_level":"high"},{"framework":"nist_ai_rmf","framework_name":"NIST AI RMF 1.0","reference":"GOVERN 1.4; MAP 2.2; MEASURE 2.8","note":null,"confidence_level":"medium"}],"obligations":[{"slug":"eu-ai-act-technical-documentation","title":"Draw up technical documentation before placing a high-risk system on the market","relationship":"satisfies","note":"Versioned technical file structured to the required elements.","confidence_level":"high","is_binding":true,"policy":"eu-ai-act","jurisdiction":"eu","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/eu-ai-act-technical-documentation"},{"slug":"eu-ai-act-conformity-assessment-registration","title":"Complete conformity assessment, CE marking and EU database registration","relationship":"supports","note":"The technical file is the input to the assessment.","confidence_level":"high","is_binding":true,"policy":"eu-ai-act","jurisdiction":"eu","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/eu-ai-act-conformity-assessment-registration"},{"slug":"eu-ai-act-gpai-provider-obligations","title":"Meet general-purpose AI model provider obligations","relationship":"satisfies","note":"Provides the model documentation and the downstream information pack.","confidence_level":"medium","is_binding":true,"policy":"eu-ai-act","jurisdiction":"eu","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/eu-ai-act-gpai-provider-obligations"},{"slug":"eu-ai-act-art-18-documentation-keeping","title":"Providers must keep high-risk AI documentation for ten years","relationship":"supports","note":"Produces the technical file that must be retained.","confidence_level":"high","is_binding":true,"policy":"eu-ai-act","jurisdiction":"eu","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/eu-ai-act-art-18-documentation-keeping"},{"slug":"eu-ai-act-art-21-cooperation-with-authorities","title":"Providers must supply conformity evidence and log access to authorities on request","relationship":"supports","note":"The documentation set that is handed over.","confidence_level":"high","is_binding":true,"policy":"eu-ai-act","jurisdiction":"eu","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/eu-ai-act-art-21-cooperation-with-authorities"},{"slug":"eu-ai-act-art-53-gpai-technical-and-downstream-documentation","title":"Providers of GPAI models must maintain technical documentation and inform downstream providers","relationship":"satisfies","note":"Model card and technical file structured to Annexes XI and XII.","confidence_level":"high","is_binding":true,"policy":"eu-ai-act","jurisdiction":"eu","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/eu-ai-act-art-53-gpai-technical-and-downstream-documentation"},{"slug":"eu-ai-act-art-54-gpai-authorised-representative","title":"Non-EU providers of GPAI models must appoint an EU authorised representative","relationship":"supports","note":"The documentation the representative holds.","confidence_level":"high","is_binding":true,"policy":"eu-ai-act","jurisdiction":"eu","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/eu-ai-act-art-54-gpai-authorised-representative"},{"slug":"uk-principles-transparency-explainability","title":"Provide appropriate transparency and explainability","relationship":"supports","note":"Explainability documentation.","confidence_level":"medium","is_binding":false,"policy":"uk-ai-regulation-white-paper","jurisdiction":"uk","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/uk-principles-transparency-explainability"},{"slug":"us-california-sb-53-transparency-report","title":"Frontier developers must publish a transparency report before deploying a new frontier model","relationship":"satisfies","note":"The model card content the report is built from.","confidence_level":"high","is_binding":true,"policy":"us-california-sb-53","jurisdiction":"us-california","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/us-california-sb-53-transparency-report"},{"slug":"eu-ai-act-transparency-to-deployers","title":"Provide deployers with clear instructions for use","relationship":"satisfies","note":"Instructions for use derived from the technical documentation.","confidence_level":"medium","is_binding":true,"policy":"eu-ai-act","jurisdiction":"eu","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/eu-ai-act-transparency-to-deployers"},{"slug":"south-korea-ai-basic-act-art-34-high-impact-ai-user-protection-and-documentation","title":"Operators of high-impact AI must prepare user-protection measures and keep records of their safety and trust measures","relationship":"satisfies","note":"Documentation of safety and reliability measures.","confidence_level":"medium","is_binding":true,"policy":"south-korea-framework-act-on-the-development-of-artificial-intelligence-and-establishment-of-a-foundation-for","jurisdiction":"south-korea","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/south-korea-ai-basic-act-art-34-high-impact-ai-user-protection-and-documentation"},{"slug":"south-korea-ai-basic-act-art-34-high-impact-ai-explanation-measures","title":"Operators of high-impact AI must be able to explain outputs and the main criteria behind them","relationship":"supports","note":"Training-data overview and decision logic documented.","confidence_level":"high","is_binding":true,"policy":"south-korea-framework-act-on-the-development-of-artificial-intelligence-and-establishment-of-a-foundation-for","jurisdiction":"south-korea","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/south-korea-ai-basic-act-art-34-high-impact-ai-explanation-measures"},{"slug":"us-colorado-developer-documentation-and-disclosure","title":"Developers must document high-risk systems and disclose known risks","relationship":"satisfies","note":"Deployer information pack and public statement derived from the documentation set.","confidence_level":"high","is_binding":true,"policy":"us-colorado-ai-act","jurisdiction":"us-colorado","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/us-colorado-developer-documentation-and-disclosure"},{"slug":"us-colorado-admt-developer-documentation","title":"Developers must supply deployers with documentation of the technology","relationship":"satisfies","note":"Deployer-facing documentation of each tool.","confidence_level":"high","is_binding":true,"policy":"us-colorado-automated-decision-making-technology-act","jurisdiction":"us-colorado","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/us-colorado-admt-developer-documentation"}],"related_controls":["data-governance-and-dataset-documentation","accuracy-robustness-security-testing","conformity-assessment-and-registration","model-release-and-change-management-gate"],"review_status":"verified","confidence_level":"high","last_verified_at":"2026-09-26","reviewed_by":"Bhaskar Bhatt","updated_at":"2026-10-15T06:46:23+00:00","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/technical-documentation-and-model-cards","context_url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/technical-documentation-and-model-cards.md"}