Six dimensions. One score. A system-level read.
Organisation-level instruments establish that a company has a management system. DSI 001 evaluates the governance posture of a specific autonomous decision system, on a 1.0 to 5.0 scale where lower is stronger.
DSI 001 Version 1.0. Effective 25 June 2026.
The six dimensions
Two reads, not one
The GBI assesses whether governance is adequately designed. The GCI, the Governance Coherence Index, assesses whether it is exercised in practice, the way SOC 2 Type II tests operating effectiveness. A strong GBI with a failing GCI means governance was designed and is not being exercised.
Tier 1 is infrastructure-generated and contemporaneous, Tier 3 is reconstructed, and management representations are excluded from certification.
What DSI 001 adds
| Instrument | What it establishes | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 42001 | Organisation-level AI management system | Does not assess a specific system's governance posture |
| SOC 2 | Control operating effectiveness over time | Not specific to autonomous decision-making |
| NIST AI RMF | A voluntary risk-management framework | Not a classification, and not legal compliance |
| AI Verify | Testing and process for responsible deployment | Not a portable, third-party system-level classification |
These are complementary. An organisation that holds them may assess faster, because relevant evidence already exists.
The standard documents
See the standard applied
The clearest way to understand a DSI 001 result is to read one. The FinCo Credit Engine worked example takes a constructed autonomous credit system end to end: the decision supply chain, the result, the compounding exposure, the evidence read, and the remediation path back toward a stronger classification.
Classify a system
Take the applicability test, or commission an assessment through an assessor authorised by Decision Standards Institute under the DSI 001 scheme.