An AI Impact Assessment (AIA) is a structured process designed to proactively identify, analyze, and evaluate the potential effects of an AI system on individuals, groups, and society. Its primary purpose is foresight and mitigation. By systematically examining a system before and during its deployment, organizations can anticipate a wide range of potential risks—including ethical, social, fundamental rights, and legal harms—and implement measures to manage or prevent them. This aligns with core principles of responsible AI and trustworthiness, ensuring that systems are developed and used in a manner that minimizes negative consequences.

A. This is too narrow. An AIA's scope extends beyond legal risks to include ethical, social, and fundamental rights harms, which may not be codified in law.

C. Defining roles is a component of an overall AI governance framework, not the primary purpose of the impact assessment tool itself.

D. While benefits may be considered for context (e.g., in a proportionality test), the primary focus of an AIA is on identifying and mitigating potential harms and risks.

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1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2023). AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0).

Reference: Page 4

Section 2.1

"Framing risk." The document states the AI RMF's goal is to "better manage risks to individuals

organizations

and society associated with artificial intelligence (AI)." The entire framework

which operationalizes the principles behind an AIA

is centered on identifying

assessing

and managing negative impacts.

2. Government of Canada

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. (2022). Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA).

Reference: "About the Algorithmic Impact Assessment" section. The official documentation states

"The AIA is a questionnaire designed to help institutions better understand and mitigate the risks associated with automated decision-systems." This directly supports the purpose of anticipating and managing risks.

3. Reisman

D.

Schultz

J.

Crawford

K.

& Whittaker

M. (2018). Algorithmic Impact Assessments: A Case Study in Public Agency Accountability. AI Now Institute

New York University.

Reference: Page 6

"What is an Algorithmic Impact Assessment?" The report defines an AIA as a "tool for assessing the potential harms of an algorithmic system before it is deployed

" emphasizing its role in providing "a repeatable

evidence-based process to assess the potential for discriminatory impact or other harms."

DOI: https://ainowinstitute.org/aiareport2018.pdf