AI is moving faster than almost any technology we’ve seen before. But is governance keeping up?

In this episode of the ThinkData Podcast, I sat down with Rowan Stewart, AI & Data Safety Product Leader at Transcend, and discussed what happens when organisations rush AI products to market without the right data, privacy and governance foundations in place.

Before joining Transcend, Rowan spent around six years at BCG X, helping organisations build and launch new technology. Today, she works with companies including Robinhood, Brex and Groupon as they navigate the increasingly complex world of AI and data governance.

We discussed why so many businesses are still treating AI governance as something to solve later, whether regulation really has to slow innovation, what responsible AI actually looks like in practice, and the consequences when businesses get it wrong.

We also explored one of the biggest challenges facing startups today: how do you continue moving at startup speed while ensuring the AI products you build are trustworthy, compliant and capable of scaling?

In this episode

• Rowan’s journey from BCG X to Transcend
• Why companies are struggling with AI governance
• Why governance becomes harder when it is bolted on later
• How startups can move quickly without creating unnecessary risk
• What “responsible AI” actually means in practice
• The role data foundations play in trustworthy AI
• Where responsibility for AI governance should sit inside an organisation
• The commercial and reputational consequences of getting it wrong
• Whether regulation slows innovation or can actually enable it
• How AI governance is likely to evolve as adoption accelerates