Taking AI Governance seriously

Impact of Agentic AI

Who is getting this right?

Why 'human in the loop' poses risks

Approaches to AI regulation 

AI's evolution makes it different

Human attachment to technology

Building the right incentives

How to get started in your organisation

Who should be accountable?

The three questions Board must ask

Tim and Theos wrap up

Ray Eitel-Porter led Accenture’s global responsible AI practice and co-authored Governing the Machine. This episode asks what happens when AI moves from giving answers to taking actions — and why AI Governance may yet become the cornerstone of management in the Age of Intelligence. 

Chatbots make mistakes; agents do things. Today’s AI can hallucinate, but Agentic AI spends money, updates systems, contacts third parties and triggers workflows. When it fails, it will fail at speed with potentially huge consequences.

A company-destroying AI accident is plausible. Ray does not dismiss the risk of a mid-sized business being badly damaged by an AI agent running loose — deleting records, spending cash, exposing data or creating operational chaos before anyone notices.

“Human in the loop” is not a magic shield. Humans only help if they understand the system, stay alert and have authority to intervene. The more accurate AI becomes, the easier it is to over-trust it.

If AI is right 99% of the time who stays awake for the 1%? The smarter the AI, the more dangerous complacency becomes. Ray highlights the example of “cognitive speed bumps” — deliberate pauses that force people to question the machine rather than simply approve its output.

Big firms are waking up; smaller firms may be exposed. Regulation, reputational risk and financial losses are pushing large corporates towards better AI governance. Mid-sized companies may adopt powerful tools faster than they build controls.

AI regulation will probably be sector by sector. Healthcare, finance, recruitment and public services need different rules because AI risk depends on context. One global rulebook is unlikely.

The best governance uses existing business systems. Do not bolt on a new AI bureaucracy. Review procurement, compliance, risk, legal and operational controls with an AI lens.

Accountability should sit with the business owner. Not just IT, legal or the vendor. The executive who wants the AI system and signs off the business case should own both the upside and the risk.

Boards need to ask three questions. Who is accountable? Do we know where AI is being used? Have people been trained well enough to use it safely and productively?

Training is where many rollouts fail. Generic Copilot training is not enough. The value comes when teams redesign real work around AI, not when they learn a few prompts.

Governance may become a source of value. In a world where machines produce more of the work, customers will pay for assurance: that outputs have been checked, systems are controlled and someone trustworthy stands behind them.

The more we worry about the technology of AI, the more we come back to people. Ray’s message is cautiously optimistic: AI governance is possible. But the weak link may yet be the humans. 

Ray Eitel-Porter led Accenture&rsquo;s global responsible AI practice and co-authored Governing the Machine. This episode asks what happens when AI moves from giving answers to taking actions &mdash; and why AI Governance may yet become the cornerstone of management in the Age of Intelligence.&nbsp;
Chatbots make mistakes; agents do things. Today&rsquo;s AI can hallucinate, but Agentic AI spends money, updates systems, contacts third parties and triggers workflows. When it fails, it will fail at speed with potentially huge consequences.
A company-destroying AI accident is plausible. Ray does not dismiss the risk of a mid-sized business being badly damaged by an AI agent running loose &mdash; deleting records, spending cash, exposing data or creating operational chaos before anyone notices.
&ldquo;Human in the loop&rdquo; is not a magic shield. Humans only help if they understand the system, stay alert and have authority to intervene. The more accurate AI becomes, the easier it is to over-trust it.
If AI is right 99% of the time who stays awake for the 1%? The smarter the AI, the more dangerous complacency becomes. Ray highlights the example of &ldquo;cognitive speed bumps&rdquo; &mdash; deliberate pauses that force people to question the machine rather than simply approve its output.
Big firms are waking up; smaller firms may be exposed. Regulation, reputational risk and financial losses are pushing large corporates towards better AI governance. Mid-sized companies may adopt powerful tools faster than they build controls.
AI regulation will probably be sector by sector. Healthcare, finance, recruitment and public services need different rules because AI risk depends on context. One global rulebook is unlikely.
The best governance uses existing business systems. Do not bolt on a new AI bureaucracy. Review procurement, compliance, risk, legal and operational controls with an AI lens.
Accountability should sit with the business owner. Not just IT, legal or the vendor. The executive who wants the AI system and signs off the business case should own both the upside and the risk.
Boards need to ask three questions. Who is accountable? Do we know where AI is being used? Have people been trained well enough to use it safely and productively?
Training is where many rollouts fail. Generic Copilot training is not enough. The value comes when teams redesign real work around AI, not when they learn a few prompts.
Governance may become a source of value. In a world where machines produce more of the work, customers will pay for assurance: that outputs have been checked, systems are controlled and someone trustworthy stands behind them.
The more we worry about the technology of AI, the more we come back to people. Ray&rsquo;s message is cautiously optimistic: AI governance is possible. But the weak link may yet be the humans.&nbsp;

AI changes everything it touches. For better and for worse. And AI is increasingly touching everything. The Age of Intelligence, recorded from INSEAD, brings together the voices of this new era.

AI is rebalancing the world. Power is shifting — among nations, corporations, and individuals — as trillions in value are created and redistributed. AI is increasingly central to economic and business strategy, geopolitical influence, and the shaping of culture, ideology, and values.

Listen to those leading the change—from academics exploring the boundaries, to entrepreneurs building the future, business leaders reshaping markets, policy-makers tackling the implications, and analysts marvelling at it.

Who will gain most in this unfolding era? What can executives, policymakers, parents, and citizens do to protect and shape their future? How will values and beliefs evolve as education and media are revolutionized? What does this mean for national security, business survival, personal agency – indeed what will it mean to be human?

Guiding you through this conversation are Theos and Tim. Theos Evgeniou is a leading AI academic at INSEAD, entrepreneur, and advisor. Tim Gordon, co-founder at Best Practice AI, is an entrepreneur, adviser and recovering political organiser. They have worked with some of the world’s most sophisticated companies, organisations and governments as they grapple with these questions.

Each episode features a thought-provoking conversation with a remarkable guest – followed by a rapid-fire, high-energy debrief.

We’ll reflect on what it might mean – for you, for your business, and for our world. Grounded in the realities but exploring the opportunities.

Whether you’re building, investing in, or simply trying to make sense of AI and what it may mean for you, this podcast is your backstage pass to the diverse people and ideas driving the most transformative force of our time.

Subscribe now or push the “like” button

AI changes everything it touches. For better and for worse. And AI is increasingly touching everything. The Age of Intelligence, recorded from INSEAD, brings together the voices of this new era.
AI is rebalancing the world. Power is shifting &mdash; among nations, corporations, and individuals &mdash; as trillions in value are created and redistributed. AI is increasingly central to economic and business strategy, geopolitical influence, and the shaping of culture, ideology, and values.
Listen to those leading the change&mdash;from academics exploring the boundaries, to entrepreneurs building the future, business leaders reshaping markets, policy-makers tackling the implications, and analysts marvelling at it.
Who will gain most in this unfolding era? What can executives, policymakers, parents, and citizens do to protect and shape their future? How will values and beliefs evolve as education and media are revolutionized? What does this mean for national security, business survival, personal agency &ndash; indeed what will it mean to be human?
Guiding you through this conversation are Theos and Tim. Theos Evgeniou is a leading AI academic at INSEAD, entrepreneur, and advisor. Tim Gordon, co-founder at Best Practice AI, is an entrepreneur, adviser and recovering political organiser. They have worked with some of the world&rsquo;s most sophisticated companies, organisations and governments as they grapple with these questions.
Each episode features a thought-provoking conversation with a remarkable guest &ndash; followed by a rapid-fire, high-energy debrief.
We&rsquo;ll reflect on what it might mean &ndash; for you, for your business, and for our world. Grounded in the realities but exploring the opportunities.
Whether you&rsquo;re building, investing in, or simply trying to make sense of AI and what it may mean for you, this podcast is your backstage pass to the diverse people and ideas driving the most transformative force of our time.
Subscribe now or push the &ldquo;like&rdquo; button