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Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA)

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The assessment Canada's Directive on Automated Decision-Making requires before a federal automated decision system goes into production. It sets an impact level from I to IV that scales the required safeguards, is published on the Open Government Portal and is updated when the system changes 1.

Developed in
ch. 21, Canada: after AIDA, the Directive on Automated Decision-Making
ch. 14, Impact assessments compared
Chapters
ch. 14, Development · ch. 21, AI Laws Worldwide
Source
1 numbered reference, listed below

Where it is used

4 chapters of the Body of Knowledge use the term. Each link opens the first section that does.

Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA): mentions per chapter9 mentions of the term across 4 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter08 Regulatory Map: 2 mentions08 Regulatory Map214 Development: 2 mentions14 Development218 EU AI Act: 1 mention18 EU AI Act121 AI Laws Worldwide: 4 mentions21 AI Laws Worldwide4No mentions in the other 19 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA): mentions per chapter9 mentions of the term across 4 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter000102030405060708 Regulatory Map: 2 mentions2081011121314 Development: 2 mentions21415161718 EU AI Act: 1 mention118192021 AI Laws Worldwide: 4 mentions4212223Source: the Body of Knowledge v0.5.0
Mentions per chapter How often each chapter names the term, with the chapters the glossary cross-references drawn solid. The longest bar is where to read the term in use; bars spread across many chapters mark a term that runs through the discipline.
Mentions as a table
Mentions of Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) per chapter
ChapterMentionsCross-referenced
00 Preface0No
01 Definition0No
02 Why Now0No
03 Values & Principles0No
04 The Stack0No
05 Patterns0No
06 The Role0No
07 Maturity Model0No
08 Regulatory Map2No
10 Reading List0No
11 AI Defined0No
12 Governance Program0No
13 Risk Management0No
14 Development2Yes
15 Deployment0No
16 Fairness & XAI0No
17 Incidents0No
18 EU AI Act1No
19 Privacy & AI0No
20 Existing Law0No
21 AI Laws Worldwide4Yes
22 Principles & Standards0No
23 AI Agents0No

Patterns that use this term

One pattern page uses the term.

Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA): related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedColour: stack layer of the pattern01 Govern-as-CodeAlgorithmic Impact AssessmentRelated terms (4)AI system impact assessment · RelatedAI system impact assessmentAutomated decision-making (ADM) · RelatedAutomated decision-makingBias audit (NYC Local Law 144) · RelatedBias auditISO/IEC 42005 · RelatedISO/IEC 42005Patterns using it (1)FRIA-as-Code, 1 mention · Uses the termFRIA-as-Code
Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA): related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedColour: stack layer of the pattern01 Govern-as-CodeRelated terms (4)AI system impact assessment · RelatedAI system impact assessmentAutomated decision-making (ADM) · RelatedAutomated decision-makingBias audit (NYC Local Law 144) · RelatedBias auditISO/IEC 42005 · RelatedISO/IEC 42005Patterns using it (1)FRIA-as-Code, 1 mention · Uses the termFRIA-as-CodeAlgorithmicImpactAssessment
The term's neighbourhood Terms related to this one on solid edges, terms it is often confused with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer. Follow a dashed edge to check the distinction before you use either term.
Neighbourhood as a table
Neighbourhood of Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA)
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsAI system impact assessmentRelated
Related termsAutomated decision-making (ADM)Related
Related termsBias audit (NYC Local Law 144)Related
Related termsISO/IEC 42005Related
Patterns using itFRIA-as-Code, 1 mentionUses the term
  • AI system impact assessment

    An assessment of how an AI system and its foreseeable applications may affect individuals, groups and society, performed across the lifecycle and updated as…

  • Bias audit (NYC Local Law 144)

    An independent audit, required within the year before an employer uses an automated employment decision tool in New York City, that reports selection or…

  • ISO/IEC 42005

    ISO/IEC 42005:2025, the AI system impact-assessment standard (a companion to the AI Act's Article 27 FRIA and to ISO/IEC 42001 Annex A.5), giving a structured…

  • Automated decision-making (ADM)

    A decision about a person taken by automated means.

Sources

  1. [1] Directive on Automated Decision-Making (algorithmic impact assessment completed and published before production; Appendix B and C impact levels; recourse; modified 2025-06-24). Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. 2025-06-24. https://www.tbs-sct.canada.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=32592 (verified: primary)

Definitions of legal terms paraphrase the cited text, which governs. Dated statements are as of .

Cite this term

García Aibar, J. (2026). Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA). In AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis & Body of Knowledge (v0.5.0), Glossary. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197. https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/algorithmic-impact-assessment-aia. CC BY 4.0

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026algorithmicimpactassessmentaia,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA)}},
  note    = {Glossary, AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis \& Body of Knowledge, version 0.5.0},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.22956197},
  url     = {https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/algorithmic-impact-assessment-aia}
}