An Open Letter to Boards: The AI Governance Gap

88% of companies use AI. Only 1 in 3 have governance in place. We must fix that today.

Across our engagements and convenings at EqualAI, we consistently hear from executives and directors who recognize that AI is reshaping enterprise risk, strategy, and performance; working diligently to establish the structures and oversight needed at the board level. One thing is clear: AI Governance maturity is not keeping pace with AI deployment.

AI is no longer a forward-looking topic for organizations. It is increasingly embedded across core business functions. Companies are moving quickly to automate workflows, modernize enterprise systems, and invest in AI-driven capabilities. The pace of adoption continues to accelerate across sectors.This is underscored by the data. Accordingly to the latest McKinsey State of AI Report, more than 88 percent of organizations report using AI in at least one business function, but only one third of these organizations report having any sort of AI governance systems in place. When it comes to boards, the data suggest they have even less of an eyeline into AI operational oversight and governance. A McKinsey survey of directors found that 66% of boards have “limited to no knowledge or experience” with AI; and 1 in 3 report that AI does not appear on their agendas.

Investor and regulatory attention is rising quickly. Shareholder proposals related to AI are increasing, and stakeholders are increasingly viewing AI governance as a signal of corporate resilience, leadership, and long-term value creation. According to a report in the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, AI-related shareholder proposals at S&P 500 companies more than quadrupled from the prior year.

But the best motivation for strong AI governance efforts is that it continues to be good business. McKinsey confirmed that organizations with digital and AI-savvy boards outperform their peers by 10.9 percentage points in return on equity, while those without are 3.8 percent below their industry average. A recent EY survey found that companies the furthest along in integrating AI with governance systems were likely to see greatest bottom line impact: respondents said their company has improved innovation (81%) and efficiency and productivity gains (79%), while about half report boosts in revenue growth (54%), cost savings (48%), and employee satisfaction (56%).

This environment reinforces the importance of EqualAI’s work. Our AI Governance Playbook for Boards is resonating strongly as a practical resource to help directors fulfill their fiduciary duty with increasing AI mandates and adoption by equipping them with the questions to ask, the oversight mechanisms to establish, and the governance structures needed to guide AI adoption confidently.

We are seeing strong demand for practical, board-ready guidance that helps organizations govern AI while continuing to innovate. The organizations who move early ensure that AI risk mitigation and governance differentiate themselves in an already crowded AI-driven ecosystem, and can transform what would seem to be bets on AI into well strategized, competitive advantages. This moment continues to validate EqualAI’s role in helping leaders translate AI governance into real-world implementation.

The opportunity in front of boards is not simply to “keep up” with AI: this is a moment to lead. The organizations that succeed will be those whose boards treat AI oversight as a core governance responsibility, embedded alongside financial, operational, and cybersecurity risk.

This is where EqualAI’s work becomes most impactful. Through our board engagements, executive education programs, cross-sector convenings, and practical playbooks, we help directors and senior leaders move from awareness to action. We translate emerging expectations into concrete governance structures, oversight processes, and boardroom questions that can be implemented today.

The question is no longer whether AI belongs in the boardroom. It is whether boards will rise to meet this moment. Boards do not need to start from scratch. The expertise, tools, and peer community now exist to help directors build effective AI governance with urgency and confidence. EqualAI stands ready to partner with boards and executive teams to turn intention into implementation.

The Blogpost was also shared on Miriam’s Linkedin in February 2026. An original version of this article is available here.