AI is forcing a rethink of data privacy - governance is the missing piece

When organizations talk about data privacy, the focus is still largely on security breaches and leaks. But heading further into 2026, the bigger risk lies in how AI is increasingly being used to automate processes and tasks.

Coupled with the growing push for AI to make decisions, it changes the privacy equation entirely. Data is no longer just being stored or shared, it is being interpreted and acted on, often at speed and often in ways that are difficult to fully explain.

Even where organizations put lots of safeguards in place,these alone are no guarantee of safety. As AI becomes more and more embedded in everyday operations, the ability to explain how decisions were made — and what data they relied on — becomes essential.

In this context, governance isthetopicleaders need to be discussing.Not as a compliance exercise, but as the practical foundation for using AI responsibly. Without ...