In today’s AI-everywhere world, the right governance approach can be an engine of acceleration. While everyone’s racing to deploy the latest AI capabilities, the smartest organizations are quietly building something more valuable: a foundation for scaling AI safely and effectively. And that foundation is AI governance.
The truth is we’re seeing a widening chasm between what data and AI leaders need to accomplish and what they realistically can do. Much of this is driven by the explosive increase in demand for generative AI. Unfortunately, most organizations remain tethered to fragmented governance models that keep their best data locked away in silos.
What does it take to deliver reliable, traceable, and compliant AI in today’s complex regulatory and market environment?
Watch our helpful webinar: Delivering reliable and compliant AI: Insights from those who built it at Collibra
You’ll see and hear Amanda Weare, General Counsel at Collibra, Eric Warner, Director AI engineering Seth Clark, Head of AI at Collibra, deliver a unique perspective on how to build trustworthy AI systems that align with both regulatory standards and business innovation goals.
The obstacle: Fragmented governance
When you’re in the thick of it, it can be difficult to imagine a solution. If you’re like most organizations, you’re familiar with these realities:
- Your data exists in pockets across apps, multiple clouds and on-prem systems
- You have blind spots around what data exists, what it means and who has access
- Your organizational data estate is becoming more complex
- AI is multiplying the risks of unreliable and non-compliant use
Fragmentation isn’t just a technical challenge. It’s an organizational barrier too. Without a cohesive governance strategy, your AI initiatives are vulnerable to delays, compliance risks and lost opportunities.
Like most, you have complex data challenges, hybrid ecosystems and—most importantly—big ambitions for leveraging AI.
But governance that tethers control and visibility to specific systems will continue to make it more difficult to scale your AI use cases safely and effectively.
The way forward: A framework
Effective governance isn’t just about avoiding risks. It’s also about unlocking growth and innovation.
At Collibra, we’ve identified four critical governance pillars that enable safe, strategic and scalable AI:
- Operational governance policy: Clearly define how your organization governs AI usage daily.
- AI acceptable use policy: Provide employees and contractors clear guidelines on AI deployment, acceptable risks and when to engage legal support.
- AI oversight committee: Establish a dedicated group to oversee governance practices, assess risk levels and ensure AI alignment with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
- AI literacy: Equip your team with the skills, knowledge and awareness needed to deploy AI responsibly and effectively.
What Is AI literacy?
“Skills, knowledge and understanding that allow providers, deployers and affected persons to make informed deployment of AI systems while gaining awareness about the opportunities, risks and potential harm AI can cause.”
– from the European Union’s AI Act
By focusing on these critical points, we maintain flexibility while ensuring appropriate guardrails. But this architecture doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It must adapt to an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
The regulatory landscape is rapidly evolving
With increasing global regulation, effective compliance has become both more complex and more business-critical. In just the last few years, the EU AI Act has emerged as a global standard with implications far beyond Europe’s borders. Similar to GDPR’s impact, it applies to most international companies engaging with European users, regardless of location.
Meanwhile, US states like California, Colorado and Utah are filling the regulatory vacuum with their own frameworks. And industry standards such as NIST and OECD AI principles further shape compliance approaches.
It’s why a unified approach to governance works better than fragmented regional compliance. Unified governance helps your organization stay agile in the face of evolving regulations. Rather than reacting to each new law or standard, a comprehensive approach ensures compliance, fosters trust with customers and accelerates innovation.
Ready for an AI governance solution? Learn more about Collibra AI Governance.
How to build effective AI governance in your organization
- Secure executive sponsorship for governance initiatives as a business accelerator
- Focus on a data-centric approach that untethers governance from siloed systems
- Align governance with business objectives to drive innovation and measurable value
- Implement clear policies, training, and tools for AI risk management
- Continuously adapt governance frameworks to evolving regulations and use cases
From fragmentation to Data Confidence
The strategic importance of governance will only intensify as organizations deepen their AI investments across the enterprise. In fact, the business case transcends regulatory requirements. It’s why forward-thinking organizations understand that governance capabilities must evolve ahead of regulatory frameworks.
However, the global trend toward more comprehensive AI regulation continues to accelerate, making proactive governance development both a strategic imperative and insurance against potentially disruptive compliance shifts.
The path to unified governance requires a strategic investment in capabilities that free your data from the constraints of silos while enabling comprehensive visibility, context and control. Organizations that make this shift will unlock the ability to trust, comply and consume data with unprecedented confidence.
When your organization is accelerating all your AI use cases, safely and with well-understood data, you have Data Confidence.
And that makes all the difference.
Ready to transform your approach to AI governance? Get the “How to Be an AI Governance Champion” workbook and discover how to turn governance from a box to check off to a strategic advantage.
