The same AI governance efforts can support both ISO/IEC 42001 certification and EU AI Act readiness, so mapping the overlap saves time and reduces duplicate work. ISO/IEC 42001 is a voluntary management system standard, while the EU AI Act is a binding EU law that organisations within its scope must follow. ISO/IEC 42001: • Sets requirements for an organization-wide AI management system • Structures policies, ownership, risk management, lifecycle controls, monitoring, and continual improvement EU AI Act: • Assigns duties according to your role, such as provider, deployer, importer, or distributor, and how the AI is classified and used • Requires documentation, transparency, human oversight, technical controls, and conformity assessment where applicable Hacken maps the shared controls and evidence, then identifies what remains specific to ISO/IEC 42001 certification and EU AI Act readiness. See the full comparison, map what applies, and decide what to prioritize first: