More than half (54%) of organisations have a head of AI or an AI leader that orchestrates activities, and 55% have an AI board, according to a recent Gartner, Inc. poll of more than 1,800 executive leaders.
“The findings show that organisations are divided regarding if an AI board is necessary,” said Frances Karamouzis, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner. “The answer is yes; enterprises need an AI board to transcend the multidisciplinary challenges to drive value and reduce risk. However, the duration, scope, and resourcing are context-specific and use-case dependent. For some, it’s a short-term, stopgap measure. For others, it’s a longer-term change to their operating model.
AI accountability
The poll also reveals that organisations are decentralised, siloed, or unclear about who is accountable for AI initiatives, with only a quarter aligning to a clear role.
The poll also revealed that the top focuses of the board remit include governance (26%) and strategy (21%).
“The board member composition should align expertise with the scope of the remit,” said Karamouzis. “Board members should be senior level and seasoned executives with strong skills in strategy and execution, especially if they have GenAI ambitions.”
The poll included 1,808 respondents who participated in a Gartner webinar in June 2024 and did not represent global findings or the market as a whole.
