Data governance.
The rules that keep your data accurate, secure and trusted, so AI gives answers you can rely on.
What it is.
- Agreed rules for who owns each set of data, who can use it, and how it is kept correct.
- Records of where every number came from, so an answer can be traced back to its source.
Why it matters to you.
- AI repeats whatever your data says. Wrong data in means confident wrong answers out.
- When a board member or regulator asks where an answer came from, governed data lets you show them.
- It stops AI tools from showing staff information they should not see.
Terms you will hear.
Data lineage
The trail showing where a number came from and every step it went through to reach a report or an AI answer.
Stewardship
A named person responsible for keeping a set of data correct, complete and up to date.
Access controls
Rules for who can see or change which data. AI tools should follow the same rules your staff do.
Data quality
Whether data is complete, current and correct. Duplicates and blanks are the usual problems.
Data catalogue
A searchable list of the data you hold, what each field means, and where it lives.
Ownership
The business leader accountable for a set of data and the decisions made with it.