The 10 Questions Every Board Should Be Asking About AI
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6/13/20264 min read
The 10 Questions Every Board Should Be Asking About AI
Part 6 of a 7-Part Series on Corporate Boards and AI Governance
About This Series
This article is part of a 7-part series on Corporate Boards and AI Governance by Angeli Raven Fitch, Attorney, Speaker, and AI Legal Strategist.
Throughout this series, we've discussed Shadow AI, governance blind spots, data risks, and vendor oversight. By now, some directors may be thinking:
"Okay, I understand the risks. What exactly am I supposed to ask?"
That's the right question.
Because effective governance doesn't start with having all the answers.
It starts with asking the right questions.
The Biggest Mistake Boards Make
🎯 One of the most common misconceptions about AI governance is the belief that directors need to become AI experts.
You don't.
The board is not expected to become a room full of data scientists, cybersecurity engineers, or machine learning researchers.
The board's responsibility is oversight.
And good oversight begins with curiosity.
The problem is that many boards are still asking questions designed for a pre-AI world.
Meanwhile, the organization has already moved on.
Question #1: Where Is AI Being Used Today?
This sounds simple.
It isn't.
Most organizations can identify the AI tools they officially approved.
Far fewer can identify the AI tools employees are actually using.
🕵️ The first question should always be:
Where is AI being used across the organization today?
Not where leadership thinks it's being used.
Where it is actually being used.
If management cannot answer that question, governance should start there.
Question #2: Who Owns AI Governance?
🚨 One of my favorite questions because it often produces silence.
Who owns AI governance?
Not technology implementation.
Not cybersecurity.
Not software procurement.
Governance.
If everyone believes someone else owns it, nobody owns it.
And if nobody owns it, that's a governance problem.
Question #3: What Data Is Being Entered Into AI Systems?
📁 Data is often more valuable than the AI tool itself.
Directors should understand:
What information is being uploaded
Which systems receive it
Whether sensitive information is involved
Whether restrictions exist
The board does not need operational details.
The board does need visibility.
Question #4: What AI Tools Are Approved—and Which Are Not?
⚖️ Many organizations have no clear answer.
Employees are often left to decide for themselves.
That creates inconsistency and risk.
Boards should ask whether management has defined:
✅ Approved tools
✅ Prohibited tools
✅ Review procedures
✅ Exceptions
Good governance thrives on clarity.
Question #5: How Are We Evaluating AI Vendors?
🔍 We've already discussed why vendors matter.
The question is whether anyone is evaluating them.
Directors should understand:
How vendors are reviewed
Who conducts reviews
What standards apply
What monitoring occurs after approval
A vendor review process says a lot about an organization's governance maturity.
Question #6: How Are We Monitoring Bias?
⚠️ This question is becoming increasingly important.
Many organizations assume technology is objective.
That's a dangerous assumption.
AI systems can reflect historical patterns, incomplete data, flawed assumptions, or unintended outcomes.
The board does not need to perform technical testing.
The board should know whether testing is occurring.
Question #7: What Happens When AI Gets It Wrong?
💣 Every AI system makes mistakes.
The relevant question is not whether mistakes will happen.
They will.
The question is:
What happens next?
Directors should understand:
Reporting procedures
Escalation procedures
Incident response plans
Accountability mechanisms
Because governance is ultimately tested when things go wrong.
Question #8: What Training Has Been Provided?
🎓 Employees cannot follow rules they don't understand.
Boards should ask:
Who receives training?
How often?
What topics are covered?
How is effectiveness measured?
Many organizations invest in AI tools before investing in AI literacy.
That sequence should concern directors.
Question #9: What Is Management Not Telling Us?
🧊 This may be the most important question on the list.
Not because management is hiding information.
But because every organization has blind spots.
Every organization has assumptions.
Every organization has unknowns.
The strongest boards actively look for them.
Question #10: How Will We Know If Governance Is Working?
📊 Governance without reporting is guesswork.
Boards should receive meaningful information regarding:
AI adoption
Vendor risks
Incidents
Policy compliance
Training
Emerging risks
Without reporting, oversight becomes largely theoretical.
With reporting, oversight becomes measurable.
The Question Behind All the Questions
🧭 If there is one question that sits behind every other question in this series, it is this:
"What would surprise us if we knew the full truth about AI use inside our organization?"
I have found that question often uncovers more governance issues than any checklist ever could.
Because governance is not about assuming everything is fine.
Governance is about verifying it.
Final Thought
The most effective boards in the age of AI will not be the ones that predict every risk.
That is impossible.
They will be the ones that create visibility, accountability, and oversight before problems occur.
Directors do not need to become AI experts.
But they do need to ask better questions.
And increasingly, those questions may determine whether AI becomes a strategic advantage or a governance failure.
Next in the Series
The AI Governance Checklist Every Board Needs
About Angeli Raven Fitch
Angeli Raven Fitch is an attorney, speaker, and AI Legal Strategist who helps organizations, law firms, executives, and business leaders navigate the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence. Her work focuses on AI governance, ethics, compliance, risk management, and responsible AI adoption.
Her mission is simple: help leaders embrace innovation without losing sight of accountability, trust, and good governance.
🔗 Connect with Angeli Raven Fitch on LinkedIn for insights on AI governance, legal ethics, emerging technology, and the future of responsible AI.
🔔✨ Follow me for more legal AI insights and courtroom chaos.
📝 Legal stuff: This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship.