80% of non-executive directors believe existing practices, structures are inadequate to oversee AI: Gartner

 Some 80% non-executive directors (NEDs) believe their current board practices and structures are inadequate to oversee AI effectively, according to a new survey from Gartner, Inc.

However, it also said 91% of NEDs viewed AI as an opportunity for shareholder value rather than a risk.

“Boards are remarkably optimistic about AI’s potential value, even more so than chief executive officers (CEOs), chief information officers (CIOs), and other executives, when compared across Gartner studies,” said Daniel Sanchez Reina, VP Analyst at Gartner.

According to the analyst, most boards, however, recognise they are not well-equipped to oversee AI because most board members are not digital natives and lack technology backgrounds. ‘‘Until recently, technology topics rarely took significant time on board agendas. But cyber-risk and AI were changing that, and NEDs were moving quickly to increase their tech-savvy and find new ways to provide oversight,’‘ he said.