Nearly 60% of our Co-Sec survey respondents saw AI as more of a risk than an opportunity and data protection, accuracy and overreliance all contributed towards this.
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The rise of AI in corporate life is reshaping how organisations operate, from automating repetitive tasks to transforming decision-making processes.
This shift isn’t just affecting tech teams or marketing departments it’s also creating new opportunities for governance professionals.
As a Company Secretary, you sit at the intersection of governance, compliance, and board support. AI has the potential to transform your role, to free up your time to focus on high-value strategic work. And we’ve seen in an increase in it’s use by Co-Secs, our recent AI survey showed that 65% are using it regularly at work.
Practical AI applications for Company Secretaries
There are thousands of AI tools available, however, it can be hard to know which one is right for you and your business. Rather than starting with the tool we recommend starting with the opportunity. Here are a few areas we see as valuable usage of AI:
- Administation – summarising meetings and calls, creating transcripts, writing minutes, summarising notes and creating board packs
- Regulatory scanning and alerts – helping monitor evolving UK and global regulatory environment and provide timely updates or risk alerts
- Board insights and dashboards – Delivering insights to the board and creative live dashboards tracking KPIs, diversity, training and compliance. Helping Chairs and governance teams act with confidence
- Drafting and editing material that is not opinion – using AI for routine disclosure and narrative sections of the Annual Report
- Creating visuals – developing thematic or abstract pictures as an alternative to stock photography. However, be aware of image rights compliance
- Proof reading and checking – streamlining proofreading to spot errors, simplify language and strengthen consistency
Managing and mitigating potential risks of AI
Whilst there are real opportunities for time saving, consistency and enhanced insight it is important to focus on the risks that come with AI. Nearly 60% of our Co-Sec survey respondents saw AI as more of a risk than an opportunity and data protection, accuracy and overreliance all contributed towards this.
Before jumping straight in with a third-party or internally developed tool, follow these steps as a guide for effective integration:
- Launch a sprint to understand the risk of inbound exposures related to AI
- Develop a comprehensive view of the materiality of related risks across domain and uses cases, and build a range of options to manage risks
- Establish a governance structure that balances expertise and oversight with the ability for rapid decision making
- Embed the governance in an operating model that draws experience across the business
- Launch with education and inspiration for your users to create understanding and uptake
- Create a framework of ongoing review and optimisation
Where the future could go for AI and the Board room
Across boardrooms worldwide, a number of innovations are already hinting at what the future of AI in governance may look like. One striking example is the introduction of the AI Board Observer. IHC, the global investment company based in Abu Dhabi, has implemented Aiden Insight 2.0, a fully sovereign AI observer of board meetings and interactions. The system provides strategic recommendations, supports decision-making, and offers analysis across IHC’s diverse portfolio by examining subsidiaries, segments, and individual projects. This enables the delivery of unified views of risk and performance drivers, while enhancing real-time decision-making through dynamic visual insights.
Beyond “AI observers”, we are also seeing the rise of digital twins, avatars that can stand in during meetings when a board member is absent, and AI-driven board evaluation platforms. These tools provide data-driven insights, flag potential biases, streamline the evaluation process, and deliver on-demand analysis at any point in the year.
AI support - what's next?
AI is here to stay, and it will disrupt every industry. The key is to start learning, testing, and building governance now so you can benefit from the opportunities while avoiding the pitfalls.
At DP we have been running AI knowledge sessions with our clients and if you are interested to understand more about what this may cover then please contact us.