Why Governance Matters

  • Clear ownership: Assigns accountable owners and approvals so responsibilities are explicit and traceable.
  • Controlled change: Uses stage gates and change control so risky updates do not bypass review.
  • End-to-end evidence: Links datasets, code, evaluations, and releases so audits can see who did what and why.
  • Faster remediation: Defines escalation paths and SLAs so incidents are contained and corrected quickly.

When Governance Is Missed

Robodebt was an Australian government program that used an automated formula to claim welfare overpayments. It compared people’s reported income with tax data and often assumed debts where none existed. With weak oversight and unclear accountability, thousands were wrongly pursued for repayment, causing financial hardship and distress. A 2023 Royal Commission concluded the governance around the system failed and safeguards were inadequate.

Governance Inter-Driver Relationship List

The following table summarizes the 14 governance related, inter-driver relationships. The full 105 relationships can be viewed here:

Note: The convention when displaying drivers Ds vs. Dt, is to display the first driver alphabetically as Ds.

Drivers Relationship Explanation Example
Inter-Pillar Relationships
Pillar: Operational Integrity
Governance vs. Robustness Reinforcing Governance frameworks support robustness by establishing guidelines to ensure AI systems are resilient and reliable (Batool et al., 2023 ) AI governance mandates robustness assurance in healthcare to ensure reliable system performance under varying conditions (Bullock et al., 2024 )
Governance vs. Interpretability Reinforcing Governance supports interpretability by enforcing standards to ensure AI systems are understandable and transparent (Bullock et al., 2024 ) AI regulations mandate interpretability to validate algorithmic outputs, ensuring systems comply with governance frameworks (Bullock et al., 2024 )
Explainability vs. Governance Reinforcing Explainability enhances governance by providing insights needed for informed oversight and decision-making (Bullock et al., 2024 ) In regulatory contexts, clear AI explanations help policymakers ensure compliance and adapt regulations effectively (Bullock et al., 2024 )
Governance vs. Security Reinforcing Governance strengthens security by setting protocols and standards to protect against AI threats (Bullock et al., 2024 ) Governance mandates security audits in AI deployments to ensure adherence to best practices and protocols (Habbal et al., 2024 )
Governance vs. Safety Reinforcing Governance frameworks enhance safety by establishing standards ensuring AI operational integrity and harm prevention (Bullock et al., 2024 ) AI governance mandates safety protocols in autonomous vehicles to prevent malfunctions and accidents (Fjeld et al., 2020 )
Cross-Pillar Relationships
Pillar: Ethical Safeguards vs. Operational Integrity
Fairness vs. Governance Reinforcing Governance ensures fairness by establishing regulatory frameworks that guide AI systems towards unbiased practices (Cath, 2018 ) The EU AI Act mandates fairness algorithms under governance to prevent discrimination in employment (Cath, 2018 )
Governance vs. Inclusiveness Reinforcing Governance frameworks establish inclusive participation, ensuring representation of various groups in AI decision-making (Bullock et al., 2024 ) Governance mandates diverse stakeholder involvement to ensure inclusiveness in AI policy development (Zowghi & Da Rimini, 2024 )
Bias Mitigation vs. Governance Reinforcing Governance frameworks regularly incorporate bias mitigation strategies, reinforcing ethical AI implementation (Ferrara, 2024 ) AI governance policies in finance often include bias audits, ensuring ethical compliance (Ferrara, 2024 )
Accountability vs. Governance Reinforcing Governance frameworks incorporate accountability to ensure decisions in AI systems are monitored, traceable, and responsibly managed (Bullock et al., 2024 ) An AI firm employs governance logs to ensure accountable decision-making, facilitating regulatory compliance and stakeholder trust (Dubber et al., 2020 )
Governance vs. Privacy Tensioned Governance mandates can challenge privacy priorities, as regulations may require data access contrary to privacy safeguards (Mittelstadt, 2019 ) Regulatory monitoring demands could infringe on personal privacy by requiring detailed data disclosures for compliance (Solow-Niederman, 2022 )
Pillar: Operational Integrity vs. Societal Empowerment
Governance vs. Sustainability Reinforcing Governance establishes guidelines supporting sustainable AI practices, ensuring long-term societal and environmental benefits (Schmidpeter & Altenburger, 2023 ) Sustainability standards mandated by governance frameworks ensure energy-efficient AI development and deployment practices (van Wynsberghe, 2021 )
Governance vs. Human Oversight Reinforcing Governance frameworks guide human oversight, ensuring responsible decision-making, enhancing effective AI system regulation (Bullock et al., 2024 ) Regulations require human oversight for AI use in healthcare, ensuring ethical decisions aligned with governance mandates (Yeung et al., 2019)
Governance vs. Transparency Reinforcing Governance frameworks enhance transparency, mandating disclosure and open practices to ensure accountability in AI systems (Bullock et al., 2024 ) Governance laws requiring transparent AI audits bolster accountability, fostering public trust in government-aligned AI use (Batool et al., 2023 )
Governance vs. Trustworthiness Reinforcing Governance frameworks bolster trustworthiness by implementing mechanisms ensuring AI systems adhere to ethical principles (Gillis et al., 2024 ) Trustworthiness in AI is strengthened by governance-mandated transparency and accountability standards (Bullock et al., 2024 )