What Is Technical Documentation?
Technical Documentation is the body of written evidence that providers of high-risk AI must maintain to demonstrate compliance with applicable requirements, covering system design, training, testing, and ongoing performance.
Technical Documentation — the body of written evidence that providers of high-risk AI must maintain to demonstrate compliance with applicable requirements, covering system design, training, testing, and ongoing performance.
Under the EU AI Act, Annex IV defines the required content of technical documentation for high-risk AI: general description, design specifications, training data, testing methods, performance metrics, risk management system, and instructions for use. Technical documentation must be kept for 10 years after the system's last use and provided to regulators on request. The documentation obligation is one of the most resource-intensive EU AI Act requirements for organisations managing large portfolios of AI systems.
Source: EU AI Act, Article 11 and Annex IV
Plain-language explanation
Under the EU AI Act, Annex IV defines the required content of technical documentation for high-risk AI: general description, design specifications, training data, testing methods, performance metrics, risk management system, and instructions for use. Technical documentation must be kept for 10 years after the system's last use and provided to regulators on request. The documentation obligation is one of the most resource-intensive EU AI Act requirements for organisations managing large portfolios of AI systems.
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