The responsible person. Using software or AI to help write a fire risk assessment does not transfer any of the legal duties under the Fire Safety Order. The assessment must still be suitable and sufficient, and the responsible person remains accountable if it is not.
The duty stays with you
Under the Fire Safety Order, the responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the fire risks. That duty cannot be handed to a piece of software. An AI tool can help with formatting or drafting, but it cannot visit the building, see what has changed or exercise professional judgement.
Who else can be liable
The responsible person is not always the only person with duties. Anyone who has control of premises to some extent can also have duties under the Order, and where an offence is committed because of someone else's act or default, that person can also be prosecuted. Failing to comply with fire safety duties in a way that puts people at risk of death or serious injury is a criminal offence.
Competence
If you appoint someone to help with your fire risk assessment, they should be competent, and you must keep a record of who they are. The Building Safety Act 2022 will make the competence requirement explicit once the relevant provision is brought into force, and the Government has committed to introducing mandatory certification for fire risk assessors.
Our view
Digital tools can make fire risk assessments more consistent and easier to manage. They work best supporting a qualified assessor who has been to the building, not replacing one.
This answer is general guidance on the law in England and is not a substitute for advice on your specific premises.