The toolkit, which follows an alpha version released in March 2021, contains risk statements to help organisations using AI to process personal data understand any potential risks to individuals’ information rights.

Suggestions for best practice on organisational and technical measures to manage or mitigate the risks of AI and comply with data protection law are also included in the toolkit.

The toolkit reflects the auditing framework developed by the ICO’s internal assurance and investigation teams.

The beta stage of the toolkit will involve testing it on live examples of AI systems that process personal data. The final version of the toolkit is expected to be ready in December 2021.

Alister Pearson, senior policy officer for technology and innovation service at the ICO, said: “This framework gives us a clear methodology to audit AI applications and ensure they process personal data in compliance with the law.

“If your organisation is using AI to process personal data, then by following this toolkit, you can have high assurance that you are complying with data protection legislation.”