Manage Suppliers to Support Responsible AI Use
Set up a process so that the services, products and materials you buy from suppliers support the responsible development and use of your AI (artificial intelligence) systems.
Plain language
Most organisations don't build their artificial intelligence (AI) systems entirely on their own. You buy things from suppliers: cloud computing, pre-built AI models, training data, software tools, and even people who do the work. This control asks you to put a process in place so that what you buy from those suppliers fits with using AI responsibly. The point is simple. If a supplier provides a dataset that was collected without consent, a model that is biased or poorly documented, or a service with weak security, those problems become your problems the moment you build them into your AI system. Your customers and regulators will hold your organisation accountable, not the supplier. So before and during your relationship with a supplier, you check that their services, products and materials meet your standards for responsible AI. You set clear expectations in writing, ask suppliers to demonstrate how they meet them, and keep an eye on whether they continue to do so over time. This way, responsibility flows all the way through your supply chain rather than stopping at your own front door.
Framework
ISO/IEC 42001:2023
Control effect
Preventative
Classifications
N/A
Official last update
01 Dec 2023
Control Stack last updated
18 June 2026
Maturity levels
N/A
Official control statement
The organisation shall establish a process to ensure that its usage of services, products or materials provided by suppliers aligns with the responsible development and use of AI systems.
Why it matters
Without supplier checks, biased data, weak models or insecure services from vendors flow into your AI systems, creating risks your organisation is accountable for.
Operational notes
Keep the supplier register current and re-check key AI suppliers at contract renewal or when they change a service, product or material you rely on.
Implementation tips
- The procurement or vendor manager creates a short set of responsible-AI requirements (such as data sourcing, bias testing, security and documentation) and includes them in every supplier selection checklist before any AI-related service, product or material is purchased.
- The AI or technical lead reviews each supplier's AI components (models, datasets, tools) before they are adopted, requesting evidence such as model documentation, data provenance records or test results to confirm they meet your responsible-AI standards.
- The legal or contracts owner adds clauses to supplier agreements that require the supplier to meet your AI requirements, notify you of relevant changes, and allow you to review or audit their compliance.
- The vendor manager records every AI-relevant supplier in a register that notes what they provide, the risks involved, and the date their responsible-AI status was last checked, so nothing slips through unmonitored.
- The risk or compliance owner schedules regular reviews of key AI suppliers (for example annually or at contract renewal) to confirm they still meet your standards and to act on any new risks identified.
Audit / evidence tips
- Askthe documented process or procedure that governs how suppliers of AI-related services, products or materials are selected and assessed Gooda written process that explicitly references responsible AI development and use, not just price and delivery
- Look atthe responsible-AI requirements built into supplier selection checklists or onboarding Goodclear criteria covering items such as data sourcing, bias, security, transparency and documentation
- Askto see two or three recent supplier contracts for AI components Goodagreements that contain clauses obliging the supplier to meet your AI standards and to allow review or audit of their compliance
- Look atthe supplier register or inventory for AI-related vendors Gooda current list showing what each supplier provides, the associated risk, and the date responsible-AI status was last reviewed
- Askevidence that at least one supplier's AI product or dataset was actually assessed before use Goodrecords such as model documentation, data provenance, or test results reviewed and signed off by a named owner
Cross-framework mappings
How Annex A 10.3 relates to controls across ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001, Essential Eight, and ASD ISM.
ISO 27001
| Control | Notes | Details |
|---|---|---|
| sync_alt Partially overlaps (5) expand_less | ||
| Annex A 5.10 | Annex A 10.3 requires a supplier-usage process so that external services/products/materials used for AI align with responsible AI practices | |
| Annex A 5.19 | Annex A 10.3 involves ensuring supplier inputs align with responsible AI development | |
| Annex A 5.22 | Annex A 10.3 mandates alignment of supplier inputs with responsible AI use | |
| Annex A 5.31 | Annex A 10.3 requires the organisation to govern supplier usage so AI-related services/products/materials align with responsible AI devel... | |
| Annex A 5.34 | Annex A 10.3 requires the organisation to ensure supplier-provided services/products/materials used for AI align with responsible AI deve... | |
| handshake Supports (5) expand_less | ||
| Annex A 5.1 | Annex A 10.3 requires the organisation to establish a process ensuring supplier-provided services, products, or materials used in AI alig... | |
| Annex A 5.12 | Annex A 10.3 requires a process to ensure supplier-provided services/products/materials used in AI align with responsible AI development ... | |
| Annex A 5.14 | Annex A 10.3 requires processes to ensure supplier-provided AI services/products/materials are used in alignment with responsible AI deve... | |
| Annex A 5.20 | Annex A 10.3 requires a process to ensure supplier-provided AI services/products/materials align with responsible AI development and use | |
| Annex A 5.36 | Annex A 10.3 requires a process ensuring supplier-provided AI-related services/products/materials are used in alignment with responsible ... | |
ASD ISM
| Control | Notes | Details |
|---|---|---|
| sync_alt Partially overlaps (2) expand_less | ||
| ISM-1785 | Annex A 10.3 requires the organisation to establish a process ensuring its use of supplier-provided services/products/materials for AI al... | |
| ISM-1786 | Annex A 10.3 requires a process to ensure supplier inputs support responsible AI use | |
| handshake Supports (2) expand_less | ||
| ISM-0047 | Annex A 10.3 requires a defined process to ensure supplier-provided AI services/products/materials align with responsible AI development ... | |
| ISM-1632 | Annex A 10.3 necessitates that supplier-provided services align with responsible AI use | |
These mappings show relationships between controls across frameworks. They do not imply full equivalence or certification.
Want to implement this AI control?
Mindset Cyber runs PECB-accredited ISO/IEC 42001 training that maps directly to the AI controls in this library.