ForHumanity

ForHumanity is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing independent audit frameworks, certification schemes, and educational resources for AI governance, ethics, and bias mitigation. Founded in 2017 and based in the United States, ForHumanity takes a unique position in the AI governance landscape as an independent body focused on developing the infrastructure needed for trustworthy AI oversight, rather than selling a traditional software platform. ForHumanity's primary contribution is its development of Independent Audit of AI Systems (IAAIS) certification criteria, which provide detailed, actionable audit frameworks that organizations and auditors can use to evaluate AI systems against ethical, governance, and regulatory standards. These frameworks cover key areas including bias and fairness, explainability, privacy, and cybersecurity of AI systems. The organization has developed specific audit criteria mapped to major regulatory frameworks and has trained hundreds of auditors worldwide through its certification programs. The organization provides extensive free resources including white papers, research reports, audit criteria documentation, and educational materials that help organizations understand and implement AI governance best practices. ForHumanity's fellowship program brings together AI governance professionals from around the world to contribute to the development of audit standards and share best practices. The organization also hosts regular events, webinars, and workshops that foster community engagement and knowledge sharing. ForHumanity's certification programs enable professionals to become certified Independent Auditors of AI Systems, creating a growing network of qualified auditors who can independently assess AI governance practices. This certification infrastructure is increasingly valuable as regulations like the EU AI Act begin requiring third-party conformity assessments for high-risk AI systems. While ForHumanity provides invaluable thought leadership and infrastructure for the AI governance ecosystem, it is important to note that it is not a software platform. Organizations looking for automated governance tooling will need to pair ForHumanity's frameworks and certification programs with software platforms that can operationalize governance processes. Despite this limitation, ForHumanity plays a critical and complementary role in the AI governance ecosystem by providing the independent standards and audit infrastructure that the broader industry relies upon.