As artificial intelligence races deeper into the enterprise, a new global survey from EY suggests the real winners aren’t just those investing the most in AI, they’re the ones governing it best.
For years, AI governance has been built around preventing bad decisions before they happen. Organizations assess training data, test accuracy, evaluate bias, write principles, and sign off on models before they go live. That made sense when AI produced insights and humans made the choices that followed.
AI adoption continues to accelerate across industries, promising efficiency gains, enhanced decision-making, and new revenue streams. However, organizations are increasingly exposed to operational risks that, if unmanaged, can result in financial losses, regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and ethical violations. These risks are not confined to deployment—they permeate every stage of the AI lifecycle, from data collection to continuous monitoring. Effective AI governance requires a holistic understanding of these risks and the implementation of proactive risk management strategies.
It was supposed to be a step toward global unity. The G7’s Hiroshima AI Process was meant to signal the dawn of an international consensus on how to govern artificial intelligence. Instead, it’s become a reminder that the world’s biggest powers are not building one system of AI governance, but several. Each reflects a different philosophy of risk, control, and trust. And for compliance and risk leaders, that’s where the real work begins.
As we move further into the digital era, organizations face an increasingly complex landscape of risks—from brand reputation challenges to AI governance and cybersecurity concerns. To help professionals, and executives navigate these evolving threats, I am publishing my research categories for 2025/2026, highlighting the areas that will demand attention, insight, and innovation over the next two years.
The world’s top privacy watchdogs are closing ranks on artificial intelligence, signaling that innovation must not come at the expense of privacy. At the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA) in Seoul last week, twenty data protection authorities from across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America endorsed a joint statement designed to lay down governance guardrails for AI.
These past few months have seen AI’s explosion into the market, transforming how many businesses, companies, and even everyday consumers function on a daily basis. AI has even made its way into many governments and offices of CEOs, with many investing time and resources into furthering its function and abilities, all while trying to make sense of the rapidly evolving technology. Despite minimal conversation surrounding its debut, risk and compliance have now become a larger talking point, with officials taking notice.