Unlocking the Future: Navigating AI Governance and Roadmap Challenges

Thanks in part to the rate of change in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), enterprises are at a crossroads. An article on ZDNet – ‘Why enterprises need a clear AI governance strategy and a roadmap’ – explores the dynamics of AI adoption among enterprises, drawing on a new United Nations initiative and consumer surveys by the technology consultancy Thoughtworks.

The United Nations Steps In for AI Governance

And establishing such an advisory team, effectively setting up an international body to advise on AI governance under the auspices of the United Nations, was a major advance in global AI governance. The expectation is that, under the leadership of this UN team, a new, more ambitious model will emerge – one that keeps the risks of AI in check, and which is framed by the values of the UN Charter and a multilateral approach. By the end of this year, the team is due to issue an initial set of recommendations on a range of issues, including global governance, risk identification and understanding, and how to use AI to help with the SDGs.

Consumer Trust: A Critical Challenge

Recent research by Thoughtworks has found that there is a significant gap of trust between consumers and businesses with regards to AI. More than half of consumers in a survey said they do not trust businesses to operate AI in an ethical way, with concerns about misinformation and violations of data privacy being the top reasons cited. This gap in trust between consumers and businesses demands that businesses explain how they plan to use AI in an ethical way that benefits consumers.

The Promise of Generative AI

And yet, despite these noise-level anxieties, a large proportion of consumers recognise the opportunity posed by generative AI. They are open to brands that harness the power of AI to create new and enhanced experiences, and many expect that AI will break new innovation ground and unlock new value. This represents an opportunity for businesses to win back consumer trust by communicating the benefits of AI and offering commitments around its responsible use.

The Human Touch in a Digital World

The most obvious customer anxiety relates to the reduction of human contact in services. Companies are now forced to navigate a careful path between technological sophistication and the human touch, avoiding a perception that introducing AI machines can diminish the quality of service, and instead striving to provide a more seamless, personalised and efficient experience.

Leadership Beyond Regulation

In particular, Mike Mason, chief AI officer of the global technology consultancy Thoughtworks, says: ‘With regulations still several years away, inability to act responsibly and transparently will not be an excuse for enterprises to delay leadership.’

The Road Ahead: Developing a Strategic AI Roadmap

There are still significant political obstacles to travell when it comes to true AI governance and roadmap development, but if businesses better disclose their work and the choices they make, are more transparent about the potential societal implications of AI, and seek out systemic interventions, we can all benefit and those who are less privileged in life cannot be made more marginalised by technology. We have to be honest about the multitude of implications afforded by AI, and we have to work with it in a way that is more responsible, more democratic and more visionary.

Understanding "TAP"

In this discussion of AI governance and enterprise adoption roadmap, you have read the word ‘tap’ repeatedly as an instruction for businesses to leverage AI conscientiously. To ‘tap’ AI is to access and utilise it, using its innovative potential in accordance with organisational objectives. It means tapping into AI’s capacity for creative evolution and discovery, while maintaining ethical priorities, and handling its challenges and societal consequences to technology use in a balanced manner.