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An auditor stands outside a dashed organizational boundary, using a magnifying glass and clipboard to examine a network cube and evidence files. The clipboard records a green check, amber question mark, and coral issue marker.
Reviewed visual · version 1

RS Glossary

Third-Party Audit

A third-party audit is a structured review of an AI system, organization, or control environment conducted by an outside party against defined criteria and evidence.

Review state
Reviewed in POC
Freshness
Current
Version
2
  • Third-Party Audit
  • Independent AI Audit

Remember it this wayOutside review helps only when its independence and scope are real.

In plain language

An external auditor examines claims, records, tests, and controls rather than relying only on the developer's own assessment. Scope and independence must be stated.

Why it matters

Outside review can reduce conflicts of interest and improve confidence, but only within the audit's scope, methods, evidence access, competence, and timing.

Example

An independent firm evaluates an AI hiring system's governance, testing, access controls, and fairness evidence against an agreed audit program.

Common misconception

Third-party does not automatically mean independent, comprehensive, or trustworthy. Funding, scope limits, access, and standards matter.

Related terms

Sources

Learn more

  • Apply the separation test in [[independent-verification|Independent Verification]].

Public history

45 recorded events · 45 public summaries

  1. A potential shared concept was discussed and selected for initial glossary drafting.

  2. The captured candidate received a complete initial draft and entered section-level human review.

  3. Radar reviewed the initial definition draft for human consideration.

  4. Radar reviewed the initial plain-language-explanation draft for human consideration.

  5. Radar reviewed the initial why-it-matters draft for human consideration.

  6. Radar reviewed the initial example draft for human consideration.

  7. Radar reviewed the initial common-misconception draft for human consideration.

  8. Radar reviewed the initial remember-it-this-way draft for human consideration.

  9. Radar reviewed the initial related-terms draft for human consideration.

  10. Radar reviewed the initial sources draft for human consideration.

  11. Radar reviewed the initial learn-more draft for human consideration.

  12. A proposal was opened for section-level human review while preserving the current version.

  13. A human reviewer opened a proposed revision while preserving the current approved or captured version.

  14. definition approved by a human reviewer.

  15. plain-language-explanation approved by a human reviewer.

  16. why-it-matters approved by a human reviewer.

  17. example approved by a human reviewer.

  18. common-misconception approved by a human reviewer.

  19. remember-it-this-way approved by a human reviewer.

  20. related-terms approved by a human reviewer.

  21. sources returned for revision.

  22. learn-more approved by a human reviewer.

  23. Requested wording was prepared without changing approved or existing sections.

  24. Radar reviewed the pending sources section for human consideration.

  25. Radar must rereview the complete third-party-audit term after an accepted text change.

  26. Radar must rereview the complete third-party-audit term after an accepted text change.

  27. Radar must rereview the complete third-party-audit term after an accepted text change.

  28. Radar must rereview the complete third-party-audit term after an accepted text change.

  29. Radar must rereview the complete third-party-audit term after an accepted text change.

  30. Radar must rereview the complete third-party-audit term after an accepted text change.

  31. Radar must rereview the complete third-party-audit term after an accepted text change.

  32. Radar must rereview the complete third-party-audit term after an accepted text change.

  33. Radar must rereview the complete third-party-audit term after an accepted text change.

  34. sources approved by a human reviewer.

  35. sources approved wording became the current section text.

  36. All section gates are approved; content version 2 is now a fully approved term.

  37. Radar rereviewed the human-approved definition wording for this exact version.

  38. Radar rereviewed the human-approved plain-language-explanation wording for this exact version.

  39. Radar rereviewed the human-approved why-it-matters wording for this exact version.

  40. Radar rereviewed the human-approved example wording for this exact version.

  41. Radar rereviewed the human-approved common-misconception wording for this exact version.

  42. Radar rereviewed the human-approved remember-it-this-way wording for this exact version.

  43. Radar rereviewed the human-approved related-terms wording for this exact version.

  44. Radar rereviewed the human-approved sources wording for this exact version.

  45. Radar rereviewed the human-approved learn-more wording for this exact version.

Source: vault/Glossary/terms/third-party-audit/term.md · sha256:74af66709df0d50910e20873ab5ddb4f363296f93fcba79dae881719381d2480 · Release: rs-glossary-glossary-team-poc-0.5.5-2026-09-02