#ai-governance

#ai-governance

In most cases, employees are driving adoption from the bottom up, often without oversight, while governance frameworks are still being defined from the top down. Even if they have enterprise-sanctioned tools, they are often eschewing these in favor of other newer tools that are better-placed to improve their productivity. Unless security leaders understand this reality, uncover and govern this activity, they are exposing the business to significant risks.

A new survey reveals a striking "AI readiness gap" in the modern workplace: those using AI tools the most-including top executives and Gen Z employees-are often the least likely to receive meaningful guidance, training, or even company approval for their use. The findings come from WalkMe, an SAP company, which surveyed over 1,000 U.S. workers for the 2025 edition of its " AI in the Workplace " survey.

Rather than pursuing massive, resource-intensive AI initiatives that take years to deliver, Huss argues for Minimum Viable AI - a pragmatic approach that focuses on getting functional, well-governed AI into production quickly. It's not about building the flashiest model or chasing state-of-the-art benchmarks; it's about delivering something useful, measurable, and adaptable from day one.

In the race to stay ahead, organizations have thrown open the doors to every AI tool under the sun. The result? AI overload. According to the Wharton School, AI spending has skyrocketed by 130% in just the past year, and 72% of companies are planning to invest even more in 2025. Yet, here's the kicker: 80% of organizations report no tangible enterprise-wide impact from their generative AI investments.

Erika Stael von Holstein, 41, has been advising European institutions on science, technology, society, and democracy for two decades. She's the founder and director of Re-Imagine Europe, a think tank focused on depolarization. The Stockholm-born advisor has also promoted Nodes.eu, a European observatory of narratives against disinformation. Von Holstein is a member of the expert council on artificial intelligence convened by the Spanish government. This work brought her to Madrid, where she met with EL PAIS.

AI is showing up in every corner of the business world - but in high-stakes fields like finance and tax, its real value isn't speed for speed's sake. It's about reducing friction, increasing accuracy and giving overworked teams the tools to focus on what matters most.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang warned that without a global consensus on AI, it could become an "exclusive game" for a few countries and companies.

Advancements are being driven by profit motives rather than a vision for public good.

As marketing teams rush to adopt AI and automation, many overlook a critical foundation: governance.

Countries must ensure they are not impeding open source platforms, as Yann LeCun advocates for collaborative international regulation of open-source AI.

"The automobile brought both convenience and tragedy. We responded with speed limits, seatbelts, and regulations—a process spanning over a century."

Ultimately, regulatory compliance is not just about avoiding penalties. It's about building AI systems that are trustworthy, ethical, and sustainable. Companies that approach AI governance this way will be the ones that come out on top.

If organizations can't capture the right data, models will fail - no matter how promising the technology, he warned.