Acceptance authority
The named ladder of who may accept a residual risk: the system owner inside a product's stated limits, the accountable executive above them, and the board or its risk committee where a bright line, a person's rights, or a regulator's floor is in play. A real ladder also names who may not accept, which in practice means the person carrying the launch date is barred from accepting the risk their own launch creates.
Defined in 2 GAGE programs, which carry 3 distinct definitions of it. The wording above is taught in Certified AI Governance Professional (CAIGP).
How each discipline defines it
The same term does different work depending on who is using it. These are the definitions as each program teaches them, unedited.
The named ladder of who may accept a residual risk: the system owner inside a product's stated limits, the accountable executive above them, and the board or its risk committee where a bright line, a person's rights, or a regulator's floor is in play. A real ladder also names who may not accept, which in practice means the person carrying the launch date is barred from accepting the risk their own launch creates.
The role entitled to accept a risk at a given level, taken from the acceptance authority table. Distinct from the risk owner, who owns the work; conflating the two is one of the most common ownership defects in real registers. (see Topic 4.6)
The level of exposure a particular role may accept. An acceptance above the accepter's authority is void regardless of good faith. The authority model belongs to Topic 4.6.
Where it is taught
The exact lessons this term appears in. The first module of every program is free with a free account.
- The trust boundary: what this system may decide alone and where a human signs · Evaluation and Trust, Certified AI Governance Professional (CAIGP)
- Inherent, residual, target, accepted, and aggregate risk · Enterprise Risk Architecture and Risk Appetite, Certified Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance Professional (CEGP)
- Risk reporting and the frameworks · Enterprise Risk Architecture and Risk Appetite, Certified Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance Professional (CEGP)
Where it shows up at work
A definition is where Acceptance authority starts. The lessons above teach it inside the competencies below, which are what job descriptions ask for and what the GAGE credential records. Every link here is drawn from the same careers map that builds a role's readiness check.
Classifies models by tier, sets validation requirements, challenges data, methodology and performance evidence, and reports aggregate exposure.
2 lessons on this page teach it as a primary outcome.
Defines who reviews AI outputs, what they check, when they can override, and how to keep review from becoming a rubber stamp.
One lesson on this page teach it as a primary outcome.
Decides what a person affected by an AI decision must be told, how an output can be explained, and how they can challenge it.
One lesson on this page teach it as a primary outcome.
Roles that hire for it
Each role page shows the full competency set, what the seat decides, and a readiness check against your own evidence.
- AI Model Validatorneeds it at depth
- Model Risk Managerneeds it at depth
- AI Product Manager, responsible product editionneeds it at depth · 3 open postings this week
- Ethical AI Specialistneeds working knowledge · 5 open postings this week
- Responsible AI Leadneeds it at depth · 7 open postings this week
- Chief Audit Executive, AI audit editionneeds working knowledge
How job descriptions say it
Postings rarely use the textbook word. These are the phrases the careers map reads as asking for the competencies above.
Where the frameworks place it: SR 11-7; NIST AI RMF MEASURE; EU AI Act Article 14; ISO/IEC 42001 Annex A.
One interview question about it
Explain independent challenge of a model to someone who built it. What do you challenge, and what do you leave to the developers?
Asked of candidates for model risk management and independent challenge. Answering it in your own words is exactly how a GAGE topic is passed, and the credential records the pass where an employer can check it.
If you come from another field
Some backgrounds already carry this competency, and the readiness check gives credit for it.
- Model risk, credit risk and quantitative analysis carries it as work you can show: Validation reports and model inventories are your record.
Terms it appears with
Not an alphabetical neighbourhood: these are the terms taught in the same lessons, ranked by how often they appear together.