AI governance in the boardroom
From Director Podcast by Institute of Directors
October 15, 2025 · 32 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the evolving role of boards in governing AI responsibly.
As artificial intelligence accelerates across sectors andindustries, boardrooms can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines. Once seen as a technical concern, AI is now firmly a strategic, operational and legal issue, demanding informed oversight at the highest level. In this Director episode, Ben Walker is joined by Dr ErinYoung (IoD Head of Innovation and Technology Policy), Pauline Norstrom (member of the IoD Science, Innovation and Technology Expert Advisory Group, founder and CEO of Anekanta®, and creator of the Anekanta® 12 Principles of AI Governance), and Mario Thomas (Chartered Director, Fellow of the IoD, and enterprise transformation leader) to discuss the evolving role of boards in governing AI responsibly. Drawing on the IoD’s latest paper, AI Governance in the Boardroom , they explore the practical steps directors can take today, from embedding ethical oversight and risk resilience to navigating complex regulation such as the EU AI Act. Together, they address key questions: What does good board-level AI governance actually look like? How can non technical directors challenge complex systems with confidence? And which principles are most urgent for boards to act on…
People in this episode
Host: Ben Walker
Guests: Dr Erin Young, Pauline Norstrom, Mario Thomas
Topics covered
- AI governance
- boardroom strategy
- ethical oversight
- risk resilience
- regulation
- director responsibilities
Keywords
- artificial intelligence
- board governance
- strategic oversight
- ethical AI
- EU regulations
- director challenges
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Institute of Directors, Anekanta®, IoD, EU AI Act
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