Generative AI was one of the biggest technology stories of the year. The excitement and rush to adopt that we experienced 2024 will moderate as the realities of AI implementation become increasingly apparent. The coming year will turn attention to AI pragmatics, such as those described in Eckerson Group’s 2025 predictions. Notably, the Eckerson prediction generated by ChatGPT addresses the need to “measure, monitor, and ensure responsible data usage” in the era of generative AI.

Data Governors and Data Stewards, sit up and take notice. Ensuring responsible data usage is a core responsibility of governance and stewardship. With rapid AI adoption, data governance must extend to include AI governance, and data stewardship must extend to include AI stewardship. Governors and stewards are affected in 3 significant areas:

• AI Ethics: The challenge is greater than simply responsible data use; it is responsible and ethical use of AI. Governors and stewards need to take the lead in fostering a culture of data ethics and AI ethics.
• Regulatory Compliance: New knowledge and skills are needed to ensure compliance with AI regulations. On August 1, 2024, the AI Act became effective in the European Union. It is the first of AI regulations, but we should expect more to come.
• Data Quality Management: Ethical AI must be fair and unbiased. Governance practices must consider data bias as well as model bias. Data quality management must include processes and practices to detect, measure, and monitor data bias.

Ethical leadership, compliance oversight, and bias detection – these are the new challenges of data governance and data stewardship. They are also opportunities to be at the forefront of a big shift in the ways that data is managed and the ways that data is used.

Staying informed on the latest trends is essential for any industry expert aiming to stay ahead.

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