The first volume in a two-part series for senior leaders.
AI is not a future board issue. It is a present one. Most organisations are using AI - sometimes deliberately, often by accident - and few have a clear view of what is happening, where the risks are, or how to govern any of it.
This guide is the resource that gives executive teams a working understanding of AI governance without asking them to become specialists. It is grounded in ISO/IEC 42001 - the international standard for AI management systems - but written for the senior generalist, not the certification auditor.
Engineering rigour. Commercial judgement. The combination most AI engagements are missing.
What's inside.
- The governance imperative - three forces converging on your boardroom right now.
- ISO/IEC 42001, in plain English - what the standard is, what it requires, why it matters.
- The ten pillars - the standard's requirements translated into ten practical pillars for executive teams, each with what good looks like and three questions to ask your organisation.
- The South African context - how the 2024 National AI Policy Framework and 2026 draft policy fit into the global picture.
Roughly 25 pages, A4 format, written to be read in one sitting or referenced one pillar at a time.
The companion volume - The Executive's Guide to the AI Product Lifecycle - covers the seven stages of governing an AI system from concept to retirement. Available separately.