AI governance, risk and compliance: What organisations need to know
AI has moved from experimentation to everyday business use, and at pace. Across sectors, organisations are deploying AI to improve efficiency, automate decision-making and unlock new insights, often faster than governance frameworks can keep up.
Over the last 18–20 months in particular, we’ve seen a sharp acceleration in AI adoption. But with that growth comes responsibility. Legal, compliance, security and ethical considerations all need to be addressed if organisations are to realise AI’s benefits without introducing unnecessary risk.
In the video below, Ray Orife, Head of Data Protection & AI Practice at Evalian, explains the key risks organisations should be thinking about, why governance matters, and how businesses can take a structured, proportionate approach to AI compliance — including preparing for the EU AI Act.
Ray Orife, Head of Data Protection & AI Practice:
“In the past eighteen to twenty months, we’ve seen an exponential growth in the use of AI across every sector.
At Evalian, we can offer a number of services including data protection, information security, and pen testing.
When organisations are using and developing AI, it’s imperative that their employees understand the risks associated with AI so that they can fully realise the benefits.
There are several risks to consider.
There are legal and compliance risks. Accuracy is another key risk, so it’s making sure that you’ve got monitoring controls in place to identify if your AI system’s still working the way that you intended it to.
Having an AI governance officer in place is going to be beneficial to oversee your AI governance and compliance.
At Evalian, we can provide outsourced services, and we see that it definitely works for those clients that can’t afford to have somebody full time. They can call on us as and when needed to provide support.
An AI gap analysis will identify the risks associated with an organisation’s AI usage. Typically, it’ll start with a discovery exercise. Evalian will speak to key stakeholders to understand what AI tools they’re using or if they’re developing any sort of AI tools, what policies and procedures they have in place, what technical measures they have in place.
So throughout that whole AI life cycle from design right through the readiness, right through the monitoring.
We’ll pull together a report that will set our key findings and recommendations and also include a comprehensive remediation plan, and we’ll agree next steps with key stakeholders and work through the risks that we’ve identified.
The EU AI Act is a horizontal risk-based regulation.
It’s important that organisations start understanding where they come in in that value chain and identify if the systems which they’re building or using are high risk or medium risk or low risk.
And there’s also a category of unacceptable risk AI systems which have been prohibited.
So it’s important right now to start thinking about where you fall in that supply chain.
Being able to provide these various services allows us to pull consultants in from the various different practices to ensure that we provide a really holistic service to our clients so that they can fully appreciate the benefits of using AI.”
What This Means for Your Organisation
AI governance isn’t about slowing innovation — it’s about enabling it safely and sustainably.
Organisations using AI need visibility over:
Where AI is being used
How decisions are made
Whether outputs remain accurate over time
How risks are identified, monitored and mitigated
With regulations like the EU AI Act introducing a clear risk-based framework, understanding your role in the AI value chain — developer, deployer, or user — is becoming essential.
A structured approach, supported by proportionate governance and independent expertise, helps ensure compliance while allowing AI initiatives to move forward with confidence.
Need support with AI Governance or compliance?
Evalian supports organisations across the full AI lifecycle, from early discovery and risk assessment through to governance, monitoring and regulatory readiness.
Our services include:
AI gap analysis and risk assessment
AI governance frameworks and policies
Outsourced AI governance and advisory support
Data protection, information security and penetration testing
If you’d like to discuss how your organisation can manage AI risks while maximising value, get in touch with our team. Whether you need targeted advice or ongoing support, we can help you take a joined-up, practical approach to AI compliance.
Contact us today to start the conversation.
