The evolution of AI in business – Is it keeping you awake at night? – Five AI Governance tips for you to consider
AI is everywhere. Some experts, perhaps thinking back to dot com, are afraid of its risks, calling its development the next “tech bubble”. Others are investing billions to develop deeper, more complex, more powerful systems, to help us be slicker, more efficient and ultimately more profitable in our businesses.
If you look back, each generation has navigated their own journey through the evolution of technology. Think about the development of the personal computer as one example and the fears and opportunities it created. On one side, concerns that it will take away future jobs, and on the other, excitement about the possibilities.
If I look at my teenage children, embracing technological advancements at school, I realise that their journey through building a career or maybe even building a business will be different to my own. That doesn’t mean that any generation before was less successful or had more job opportunities; it means that generationally, we move and change, constantly striving for improvement and growth.
Arguably this next chapter, AI and its exciting capabilities for helping streamline business processes, is no different. Jobs will change, teams and businesses will evolve and there will, I am sure, be some positive and some not so positive outcomes. Of course, despite its capabilities, there is a huge amount that AI cannot do, for example human social connection, the relationship between business owner and client or empathy between team members. Chat GPT certainly doesn’t have leadership qualities just yet.
But a big part of leading a business is to be agile, to embrace change and new technologies and to understand the risks as well as the rewards. I asked a group of business leaders two questions about their use of AI.
- Have you considered the risks of using AI systems in your business? Ethics, compliance, safety, bias, transparency and so on.
and
- Have you discussed AI, its opportunities and its risks in the boardroom and with your senior team?
The overwhelming majority said they had not.
I recently read a piece of research that said that despite many companies investing in internal and protected LLM’s (Large Language Model internal AI systems), up to 90% of employees are continuing to use open tools to help them with their work, perhaps an open version of Chat GPT or CoPilot, and many used tools that they knew the company had not approved. Imagine if an employee put your customer data into Chat GPT to produce you a great looking report, or your PA, to streamline your company vision statement, asked an AI to enhance the wording, perhaps inadvertently placing your data out there in the great AI data repository for all your competitors to see.
Having listened to the concerns and cautions of company boards, considered the opportunities so far and worked with leaders on their approach to controlling and governing the risks and possibilities of AI, I wanted to share with you five top tips we have developed to help you. Not an exhaustive list of doom and gloom, but more a set of pointers to make you think as you embrace the changes ahead in 2026.
Tip 1 – Research
Understand how your business is using AI today and the opportunities to make the best use of it tomorrow
This is your baseline. Take the time to examine the return-on-investment opportunities, how the technology is being used and how it will change your business. Consider if your current systems and processes provide protection for your data in an AI enabled world.
Tip 2 – Talk
Take AI to the boardroom and talk about it with your senior management team
Your AI strategy requires a top-down approach to its development, not just to make best use of it but to also manage its risks. We make decisions based on data, research, competitor information and insight; make sure the information your team passes to you has been checked and double checked; AI systems have a habit of hallucinating.
Tip 3 – Consider
Consider your GDPR and security obligations
Examine where your company data is going and how is it being used by your team. Do your AI systems provide you with protection or are your systems exposing you.
Tip 4 – Invest in your people and their understanding
Get some training
Train the board and train your team. The best results come from properly exploring the opportunities and setting yourselves up for success. Effective risk management supported by improved understanding.
Tip 5 – Write
The AI evolution is big enough to be a policy and procedure matter
Obtain clarity about data accuracy and sources, design your processes around the safe and secure use of new systems, add audit checks and balances.
If AI in your business isn’t (perhaps metaphorically) “keeping you up at night” then good – you’re on it, you understand it, you can see the benefits and the risks.
If not, then I hope that my five tip tips will be a good starting point as you begin to think about the actions you should be taking. Remember, good governance is important across all parts of your business. Embrace the opportunities created by AI and understand how best to use them in your business in 2026.
