This policy brief explains how consensus-based international standards transform high-level AI principles into practical requirements for the development of safe, transparent, trustworthy and responsible AI systems. Mapping the global policy landscape, it demonstrates how international standards support trust, quality, risk management, data governance, sustainability and conformity assessment across the AI lifecycle - helping policymakers to move from ambition to implementation, while reducing technical and regulatory fragmentation and enabling market access. Designed for ISO members (National Standards Bodies) and policymakers, the brief offers a global socio-technical perspective that bridges policy and practice, encouraging coordinated action across jurisdictions.
The brief is part of ISO’s thematic policy brief series and should be read alongside the ISO Standards and Public Policy Toolkit and A Primer on Public Policy: Maximising Your NSB’s Engagement with Policymakers.