Which of the following is the MOST important step in an AI incident management process...

Root cause analysis (option B) is the most critical step for continuous improvement because it ensures that incidents are not only resolved but prevented from recurring.

AAIA incident management emphasizes:

Identifying underlying systemic failures

Determining whether issues arose from data, model logic, drift, integration, or human factors

Implementing long-term mitigation strategies

Updating governance and operational controls

Defining ownership (A) is important early in the process.

Assessing severity (D) prioritizes response.

Archiving logs (C) supports documentation.

But none of these guarantee process learning or long-term resilience.

Root cause analysis is the essential step for organizational maturation and risk reduction.