AI Governance Committee Chair
Typically COO or Chief of Staff — operational authority, not just IT oversight
Legal / Compliance
Policy, liability, regulatory
IT / Security
Tools, access, data protection
HR
Training, conduct, employee use
Finance
Budget, ROI, vendor contracts
Dept. Rep (rotating)
Business use case input
Committee responsibilities
- Approve all AI tools before company-wide use
- Classify data and define AI-prohibited categories
- Write and maintain the AI Use Policy
- Review and approve departmental use cases
- Manage vendor relationships and contract terms
- Handle incident reports and policy violations
- Deliver quarterly report to executive leadership
Operating cadence
- Monthly 60-minute standing meeting
- Async channel for quick approvals between meetings
- Quarterly executive summary — one page maximum
- Annual full policy review
- Incident response — 72-hour review SLA
- Semi-annual employee training refresh
- Vendor reassessment at every contract renewal
Committee charter
The committee must operate under a written charter approved by the CEO. It should define: scope of authority, quorum requirements, escalation paths, and the process for emergency decisions between meetings.
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