What is Live Testing?
Live testing is the evaluation of an AI system in a real or production-like environment using actual workflows, users, or data under controlled conditions. It matters in compliance because it helps verify real-world performance, safety, and security before or during deployment, especially for higher-risk systems.
In Depth
In practice, live testing may involve a limited rollout, pilot, shadow mode, or monitored production trial to observe how the system behaves outside a lab setting. Compliance teams use it to confirm that documented controls work as expected, to detect unanticipated failure modes, and to generate evidence for go-live decisions and post-deployment monitoring.
This term is relevant to frameworks that emphasize pre-deployment validation and ongoing monitoring, including the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO/IEC 42001. It is also closely related to structured testing and postmarket evaluation obligations, where organizations must show that performance, robustness, and safety are assessed in realistic operating conditions.
Related Frameworks
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