Artificial intelligence has moved from the innovation lab to the operating core of the modern enterprise. That shift has profound implications for corporate compliance professionals. AI is no longer simply a technology issue for the CIO, a legal issue for the general counsel, or a cybersecurity issue for the CISO. It is now a governance issue, a controls issue, a culture issue, and, most importantly, a compliance issue.
According to a new report from the Conference Board, in 2023, only 12 percent of S&P 500 companies disclosed AI as a material business risk in their annual filings. By 2025, that figure had climbed to 83 percent. At the same time, executives are enthusiastic about AI’s upside, with 80 percent expecting productivity gains, while 75 percent anticipate significant workforce disruption. Those numbers frame the central challenge: Companies want the benefits of AI, but they must manage the risks with the same discipline they apply to anti-corruption, sanctions, cybersecurity, privacy, and financial controls.
