A Diagnostic Reflection for Boards: How Exposed Are We to AI Risk?

This short diagnostic is designed to provoke honest reflection rather than provide comfort. It works best when considered individually and then discussed collectively.

• Could we list all material AI use cases across the organisation today?
• Do we know which decisions are influenced by AI outputs?
• Is accountability for those decisions named, documented and understood?
• Would directors feel confident explaining our AI oversight to a regulator or journalist?
• Are people clear about where AI use is encouraged, restricted or prohibited?
• Have we quantified the cost savings, time gains or efficiency improvements AI could unlock?
• Are we actively choosing our current pace of adoption, or defaulting into it?

If these questions feel uncomfortable, that discomfort is useful. It signals where governance attention is required.

I often say to boards that diagnostics are not about judgement. They are about clarity. In an AI-influenced world, clarity is what allows boards to act with confidence rather than react under pressure.