AI Governance Executive Functions: Horizontal Leaders
This resource identifies the executive knowledge and accountability attributes for horizontal leadership roles that support AI governance decision-making within organizations.
Contributors:
Ashley Casovan
Managing Director, AI Governance Center
IAPP
Editor's note
This resource is part of the AI Governance Skills Framework (AIGSF), within the Executive Functions section.
This resource identifies the executive knowledge and accountability attributes for horizontal leadership roles that support AI governance decision-making within organizations.
Horizontal leaders provide specialized oversight capabilities that span the organization and support all AI-related activities regardless of business function. They establish organizational foundations necessary to enable consistent, scalable and responsible AI adoption across the enterprise.
Chief privacy officer or chief data protection officer
- Ensures compliance with data protection laws and oversees data governance practices for AI systems.
- The CPO is responsible and accountable for an organization's privacy compliance, management and strategy. Given this role's experience with establishing and cohering privacy compliance structures, data flows and information governance more generally, CPOs are targeted by the C-suite as a natural lead for digital governance efforts.
- Ensures AI systems comply with privacy laws and data governance standards.
- Manages privacy risk assessments and mitigation strategies.
- Leads privacy-by-design initiatives in AI development.
Chief information security officer
- Ensures the security and privacy of AI systems and the data they use.
- The CISO is tasked with leading the organization's approach to cybersecurity. Given this role's broad remit across the organization, CISOs likely play a key role in an organization's robust response to digital governance challenges.
- Safeguards AI systems against cybersecurity threats.
- Ensures secure data handling and model integrity.
- Coordinates incident responses for AI-related breaches.
Contributors:
Ashley Casovan
Managing Director, AI Governance Center
IAPP