Annex IV (Technical Documentation)
EU AI Act — required contents of the technical documentation
Practitioner's note: This article is practice-oriented compliance documentation, not legal advice. We are a compliance specialist, not a law firm. For legally binding information please consult a licensed lawyer.
TL;DR
Annex IV (Article 11) is the concrete content guideline for the technical documentation that every high-risk AI provider must maintain and produce on request.
What is Annex IV (Technical Documentation)?
13 mandatory contents: 1) General description, 2) Detailed architecture, 3) Training data, 4) Training/validation methods, 5) Testing procedures, 6) Accuracy and robustness, 7) Human Oversight, 8) Data management procedures, 9) Risk management system, 10) Monitoring system, 11) Conformity assessment, 12) Provider identity, 13) Lifecycle management.
Practical example
A manufacturer of an HR AI system documents around 50-100 pages of technical documentation. Retention period: 10 years after placing on the market.
Frequently asked questions
Which format?
Freely selectable, but structured along the Annex IV points.
Retention period?
10 years after placing on the market (Article 18).