Singapore's AI Verify Testing Framework

Applies To

Overview

AI Verify is Singapore's AI governance testing framework, launched by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in June 2022 as an early version, then updated and piloted internationally. The framework gives organisations a structured method to test and document AI systems against internationally recognised AI ethics principles, including transparency, explainability, fairness, safety, and accountability. AI Verify has two parts: automated technical tests of AI models, run through a software toolkit, and process checks of how AI development and deployment are governed and documented. Results are compiled into an AI Verify report, which organisations can share with regulators, business partners, or customers as evidence of responsible AI practices. The framework aligns with international references including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) AI Principles, the EU's ALTAI (Assessment List for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence) guidelines, and ISO/IEC international standards. IMDA has worked with international partners on interoperability, including the US National Institute of Standards and Technology's AI Risk Management Framework (NIST AI RMF) and the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). AI Verify is voluntary and does not carry enforcement consequences, but it is increasingly referenced in public sector procurement and financial sector guidance in Singapore. An extension for evaluating foundation models (large, general-purpose AI models that other products are built on) was introduced in 2023 to address risks specific to large language models.

Key Requirements

• •Voluntary participation; no legally mandated obligation for private sector organisations
• •Organisations using the framework must test AI systems against eleven AI ethics principles including fairness, transparency, explainability, robustness, and data governance
• •Technical tests must be conducted using the AI Verify software toolkit or an equivalent approved methodology
• •Process checks require documented evidence of internal governance practices including risk management, human oversight, and stakeholder engagement
• •AI Verify reports must accurately reflect test results and must not be used in a misleading manner
• •Foundation model evaluation module applies additional checks for large language models covering safety, hallucination, and alignment properties
• •Organisations should maintain records of testing artefacts sufficient to support third-party verification if requested

What Your Organization Must Do

• →Conduct a scoping exercise to identify which AI systems in your Singapore operations are candidates for AI Verify testing, prioritising customer-facing and high-risk applications
• →Assign a technical lead to integrate the AI Verify toolkit into existing model validation and MLOps pipelines (engineers' systems for testing and releasing models) to reduce duplicated effort
• →Prepare process check documentation by cross-referencing existing AI governance policies against the eleven AI ethics principles assessed by the framework
• →Use AI Verify reports as a disclosure document in vendor due diligence, regulatory engagement, and public sector tender responses
• →Engage with IMDA's AI Verify Foundation for updates to the toolkit, particularly for generative AI and foundation model modules that are under active development
• →Assess interoperability between AI Verify outputs and requirements under the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001 (the AI management system standard) to maximise reuse across jurisdictions

Playbook Guidance

Step-by-step implementation guidance for compliance teams.