AI Impact Assessment Card

Communicating the risks and benefits of AI is important for regulation and public understanding. Yet current methods such as technical reports often exclude people without technical expertise. Drawing on HCI research, we developed an Impact Assessment Card to present this information more clearly. We held three focus groups with a total of 12 participants who helped identify design requirements and create early versions of the card. We then tested a refined version in an online study with 235 participants, including AI developers, compliance experts, and members of the public selected to reflect the U.S. population by age, sex, and race. Participants used either the card or a full impact assessment report to write an email supporting or opposing a proposed AI system. The card led to faster task completion and higher-quality emails across all groups. We discuss how design choices can improve accessibility and support AI governance.


ai-impact-assessment-methodology
Template of the Impact Assessment Card showing AI risks and benefits in plain terms. Section A includes the system's name, purpose, and EU AI Act risk level. Section B outlines benefits, risks with mitigations, and technical details. Section C lists reporting channels, registered office, and certifications.

Examples of filled-in impact assessment cards

  • Impact Assessment Card for a Store Checkout System. PDF
  • Impact Assessment Card for a Car Park Monitoring System. PDF
  • Impact Assessment Card for a Music Recommender System. PDF
  • Impact Assessment Card for a Housing Benefit Allocation Assistant. PDF

Publications

  • Impact Assessment Card: Communicating Risks and Benefits of AI Uses. CSCW 2025 PDF