AI Documentation: What Records Should Your Business Keep?

Why This Matters

Keep records of your AI tool inventory, policies, training sessions, risk assessments, incidents, vendor assessments, and monitoring results. These are your compliance evidence and institutional memory.

Under the EU AI Act, having documented AI governance demonstrates that your business takes AI compliance seriously. If regulators or clients ask how you manage AI use, pointing to established practices is far better than starting from scratch.

Essential Documents

Every business using AI should maintain: AI tool inventory, AI policy and acceptable use policy, training records (who, when, what), risk register, incident reports, vendor assessment records, and monitoring logs.

For high-risk AI, you'll need more detailed records aligned with EU AI Act requirements, including conformity documentation from your vendor.

How to Organize

Create a simple folder structure: AI Governance folder with subfolders for Policies, Inventory, Training, Risk Assessments, Incidents, Vendor Assessments, and Monitoring. Use consistent naming with dates. Make sure at least two people know where everything is.

Avoid scattering documentation across systems. One place makes audits and reviews much easier.

How Long to Keep

The EU AI Act requires providers to keep technical documentation for 10 years. For deployers: keep logs at least 6 months. Keep all governance documents for the duration of use plus at least one year. Keep training records for the entire employment period plus a reasonable period. Keep incident reports indefinitely — they're part of your institutional learning.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Regulatory requirements change frequently — verify current rules with official sources. Built by Sawai Gyoseishoshi Office, Hiroshima, Japan.