AI governance for startups: the four artefacts every buyer and regulator asks for
Skip the year-long programme. Build the four artefacts procurement, insurers and regulators actually request (inventory, risk register, policy, incident process) with free templates and recorded obligations.
Own it
Name one accountable owner for AI governance and give them a short written policy: what you build, what you will not build, and how decisions are recorded.
Inventory and classify
Maintain a register of AI systems with purpose, users, jurisdictions, data types and a risk tier. Most frameworks and laws start here.
Document data and models
For each system keep a data sheet (sources, licences, consent basis, known gaps and bias checks) and a model card (intended use, limitations, evaluation results). These satisfy the documentation core of the EU AI Act, the NIST AI RMF, Singapore's framework and the Australian standard.
Design oversight and recourse
Decide where a human reviews or can override outputs, how users are told they are dealing with AI, and how an affected person can contest a decision. The EU AI Act and Colorado SB 26-189 (from 1 January 2027, record pending review) make these explicit duties for consequential decisions.
Prepare for incidents
Extend your security incident process to AI harms: define severity, who reports, to whom and within what time, and keep a log.
Evidence once, reuse everywhere
Store evidence against obligations, not against laws. One risk assessment or impact assessment template can serve the EU AI Act, UK GDPR DPIAs and ISO/IEC 42001 with small adaptations.
Obligations referenced in this guide
- Voluntary Establish accountability processes and a risk-management process (guardrails 1 and 2) (Australian Voluntary AI Safety Standard, Australia)
- Legal Establish a risk management system for high-risk AI (EU AI Act, European Union)
- Voluntary Determine the appropriate level of human involvement in AI decisions (Singapore Model AI Governance Framework, Singapore)
- Legal Offer meaningful human review of an adverse consequential decision (Colorado ADMT law (SB 26-189), Colorado (United States))
- Voluntary Establish AI governance policies, roles and accountability (Govern) (NIST AI RMF, United States)
Disclaimer: informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult a qualified lawyer before acting.