Free AI Risk Register Template
Record AI-specific risks per system with likelihood, impact, owner, controls and review dates, mapped to the MIT AI Risk Repository domains.
What it is for
A risk register turns "we thought about risk" into evidence. The NIST AI RMF MEASURE and MANAGE functions, the ISO/IEC 42001 risk assessment clauses and the EU AI Act risk-management system (Article 9) all expect identified risks, evaluated severity, chosen treatments and monitoring. The register uses the seven MIT AI Risk Repository domains so entries can be compared with recorded incidents.
Preview: fields in the register
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Risk ID | Stable identifier (e.g. R-001). |
| System ID | Link to the inventory row. |
| Risk domain | One of the seven MIT AI Risk Repository domains. |
| Risk description | What could go wrong, for whom, how. |
| Causal entity / intent / timing | Human or AI; intentional or unintentional; pre- or post-deployment. |
| Likelihood (1-5) | Estimated chance in the review period. |
| Impact (1-5) | Severity for people, the organisation or society. |
| Inherent score | Likelihood × impact before controls. |
| Existing controls | Technical, procedural or contractual controls in place. |
| Residual score | Score after controls. |
| Treatment | Accept, mitigate, transfer or avoid. |
| Action and owner | What will be done and who is accountable. |
| Due date | When the action completes. |
| Monitoring signal | Metric, log or test that shows the risk is under control. |
| Related obligation | Legal or standard clause the control satisfies. |
| Last reviewed | Date. |
| Status | Open, in progress, closed. |
How to use it
- Start from the inventory: every production system needs at least one entry per relevant domain.
- Use recorded incidents on this site to challenge your likelihood estimates.
- Keep residual scores honest; an all-green register is a warning sign for reviewers.
- Review after every incident and at the cadence your policy sets.
Framework and policy mapping
Create a free account to download
Get instant access to this free register and receive updates when related AI policy requirements change.
By downloading, you agree to the template licence and acknowledge that AIPolicyTracker provides informational resources, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the AI Risk Register Template free?
- Yes. Preview every field online; download the XLSX, CSV, Markdown with a free account under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
- Which frameworks does it map to?
- NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, EU AI Act. The mapping section links the recorded policy instruments and guides it draws on.
- Does completing it make us compliant?
- No. It is an informational resource, not legal advice; it helps produce the evidence that regulators, customers and auditors ask for.
Informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult qualified counsel before acting.