As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly embedded in business operations, the need for responsible governance has never been more urgent. ISO/IEC 42001 — the first international standard for AI management systems — offers a structured framework to ensure the ethical, transparent, and accountable deployment of AI. One critical but often overlooked component of this governance? AI system event logs.

In this post, we explore how event logging ties into ISO 42001 compliance and why it’s essential for ensuring traceability, risk management, and continuous improvement of AI systems.

What is ISO/IEC 42001?

Released in late 2023, ISO/IEC 42001:2023 provides a management system standard (MSS) specifically designed for organizations developing, deploying, or using AI. It offers a risk-based framework to align AI systems with ethical values, legal requirements, and organizational objectives.

Key focus areas include:
– AI governance and accountability
– Risk management and impact assessments
– Transparency and explainability
– Data and model lifecycle management
– Human oversight

The Role of Event Logs in AI Governance

Event logs record the internal operations of AI systems—everything from data inputs and model decisions to errors and user interactions. While logs are often seen as technical artifacts, under ISO 42001, they gain strategic importance.

Why logs matter:
– Traceability: Logs allow stakeholders to understand what the AI did, when, and why—critical for audits and investigations.
– Accountability: Demonstrating due diligence is easier when there’s a robust digital trail.
– Compliance: Many AI-related regulations (like the EU AI Act) require that high-risk systems maintain detailed logs.
– Model Monitoring: Logs support performance monitoring, drift detection, and incident response.
– Continuous Improvement: Analyzing logs can surface patterns to improve models and user experience.

Aligning Event Logging with ISO/IEC 42001

Here’s how to integrate event logging with your ISO 42001 framework:

ISO 42001 Clause	Logging Requirement
6.1 Risk Assessment	Use logs to track identified risks and evaluate system behavior over time.
8.1 Operational Planning	Define log collection, storage, retention, and access in the operational procedures.
9.1 Monitoring, Measurement & Analysis	Leverage logs for quantitative monitoring and trend analysis.
10.2 Incident Handling	Use logs for root-cause analysis and corrective actions after AI-related incidents.

Tip: Logging shouldn’t just be technical. Consider logging contextual information, like decision rationale or human overrides, to aid explainability and accountability.

Best Practices for AI Event Logging

– Log by design: Define what to log at the model design phase, not after deployment.
– Automate intelligently: Use logging frameworks that support structured, searchable, and secure logging.
– Protect privacy: Redact or anonymize logs to comply with data protection laws.
– Enable auditability: Ensure logs are immutable and properly time-stamped.
– Involve stakeholders: Design logs not just for engineers, but also for compliance officers, auditors, and end-users.

Final Thoughts

AI systems are powerful—but with great power comes the need for structured accountability. ISO/IEC 42001 sets the stage for responsible AI, and event logs are the operational backbone that make transparency and trustworthiness possible.

As organizations move toward ISO 42001 certification or self-alignment, investing in robust event logging practices isn’t just a best practice—it’s a necessity.

Want to learn more?
If your organization is preparing for ISO 42001 or looking to improve AI system governance, get in touch. We offer consulting, audits, and training designed to align your systems with global best practices.

For further information and to book your BS 1SO 42001 Artificial intelligence – management systems survey please contact: Marcus J Allen at Thamer James Ltd. Email: [email protected]

Marcus has twenty years’ experience in delivering Governance, Risk and Compliance solutions to over two hundred organisations within the UK. Marcus holds the respected Diploma in Governance, Risk and Compliance from the International Compliance Association and holds a master’s degree in Management Learning & Change from the University of Bristol. Marcus has attended various courses on AI development at Oxford University.