First, A Letter from Lady Whistledown to the Esteemed Leaders of the Realm
Dearest Readers,
It has come to this author’s attention that a most curious phenomenon is sweeping across the great houses of commerce and governance alike. Artificial Intelligence—once whispered of in scholarly halls—has now become the fashionable pursuit of every ambitious organization seeking to claim its place in the future. Indeed, every ruler of industry seems eager to declare their devotion to this powerful new force.
Yet, as with many things that rise quickly in popularity, the reality behind the grand proclamations is rather less triumphant.
It is quietly reported in the corridors of strategy and technology that more than 85 percent of AI initiatives fail to sustain themselves or deliver meaningful value. An astonishing statistic, and one that should give even the most confident sovereign pause. Vast sums are invested, brilliant minds assembled, and yet the promised transformation often vanishes like a ballroom romance at the break of dawn.
Why, one might ask, does such a promise so frequently fall short?
This author dares to suggest that the problem is not ambition, but orchestration.
Artificial Intelligence is not a bauble to be acquired nor a fashionable accessory to be displayed. It is an enterprise capability that must be cultivated with discipline and governance. Without thoughtful oversight—clear stewardship of data, responsible algorithms, robust technical infrastructure, and skilled practitioners—AI becomes little more than an expensive experiment.
Thus enters the most prudent solution for any forward-thinking ruler: the establishment of an AI Center of Excellence.
An AI Center of Excellence, dear readers, is the court where wisdom regarding artificial intelligence is gathered and refined. It is where governance is defined, where ethical considerations are weighed, where data is curated with care, and where the kingdom’s most capable technologists and strategists collaborate to ensure that AI delivers real and lasting value.
Within such a center reside several critical duties. It safeguards AI governance, ensuring that algorithms are transparent, fair, and accountable. It advances data governance, recognizing that even the most sophisticated intelligence cannot thrive on poor information. It secures the technical foundations upon which scalable AI systems depend. And perhaps most importantly, it cultivates the talent and measurement disciplines required to turn experimentation into enterprise impact.
Yet even here, dear reader, one must resist the temptation of rigid doctrine. Not every kingdom is governed in the same fashion. Some may choose a centralized court, where authority and expertise reside in a single powerful council. Others may flourish through a decentralized model, empowering individual domains to lead their own innovations. Still others may adopt the most diplomatic of arrangements—the hub-and-spoke design, where a central body guides strategy while local leaders advance adoption across the realm.
There is no singular structure destined for all.
What matters most is that each organization designs a model that reflects its own culture, scale, and ambitions. For in the absence of such thoughtful design, artificial intelligence will remain scattered and inconsistent—an orchestra attempting to perform without a conductor.
Let it therefore be known among the leaders of this modern age: those who treat AI as a fleeting fashion will find themselves disappointed. But those who invest in disciplined governance, thoughtful architecture, and a role model Center of Excellence will discover something far more enduring—the ability to turn intelligence itself into a lasting strategic advantage.
And if history has taught this author anything, it is that the houses that master such disciplines seldom remain unnoticed for long.
Yours most observantly,
Lady Whistledown
————————————————————————————————————-
Strategic Commentary from Dr. Cindy Gordon, CEO and Founder, SalesChoice
Lady Whistledown continues to offer prudent advice to all people of the land to take heed and rise up to embrace optimal AI governance operating structures to design and sustain AI capabilities in their respective organizations.
As you all now know, Artificial intelligence has become a foundational technology for digital transformation across every industry – and it’s moving rapidly, and many would say too rapidly.
Getting AI Governance is crucial now and more than ever.
Organizations increasingly rely on AI to support predictive decision making, automate complex processes, enhance customer experiences, and generate insights from large datasets. Despite the promise of AI, many organizations struggle to operationalize these capabilities effectively. Projects frequently stall during experimentation phases, data pipelines lack standardization, and ethical considerations are addressed inconsistently.
A common root cause of these challenges is the absence of a coordinated organizational structure responsible for AI governance and delivery. Without centralized oversight, business units often develop independent AI initiatives that use different data sources, modeling practices, and governance frameworks.
This fragmentation can lead to increased operational risk and inefficient use of technology investments.
An AI Center of Excellence addresses these challenges by providing an institutional framework that integrates AI strategy, governance, talent, and infrastructure. The AI COE acts as a hub for best practices, technical expertise, and organizational learning. It enables organizations to scale AI capabilities across departments while ensuring consistent standards for security, ethics, and performance.
To support our customers and the growing AI community following our AI musings, we have curated an extensive research report to dive into how to advance an AI Center of Excellence (COE) with robust research and recommendations.
So many of our customers are struggling to advance their organizational models, make the required cultural shifts, and secure the investments they need to build stronger AI data foundations.
To access our NEW AI White Paper: Strategy, Governance and Operating Models for the AI Center of Excellence (COE), you can find the link here.
This research AI COE report provides
-
a comprehensive framework for designing and operating an AI Center of Excellence
-
governance structures, stakeholder roles, performance metrics, staffing models, and budget considerations.
-
examples of different organizations’ approaches to an AI COE
-
common implementation failures and
-
critical success factors that enable organizations to scale AI capabilities effectively.
This new whitepaper report echoes our two-year research project in co-authoring my new book with Cathy Cobey, Global AI Co-Lead EY, called: The AI Precipice: An Executive Guide to Advance AI Innovation and Safety. It is also ready for pre-order here.
In our book, you will find deeper insights into the risk controls and monitoring systems that are required to govern AI in terms of AI privacy, security, risk, and compliance needs. We also define new AI measurement methods to validate the performance of your AI models and provide numerous recommendations to advance your AI governance operating systems.
Our global research found that many organizations are still ill-equipped with the appropriate measurement and control systems, so we will continue to provide best-in-class research to advance your knowledge of AI to lead effectively.
Request from my Readers: If you would like me to focus on a topic of interest to you, please do let me know on LinkedIn or fill out our contact form.
Join our SalesChoice AI Youtube Channel
To stay updated about the latest in AI and its impact, subscribe to our CEO’s weekly AI Insights newsletter
#AI #AIStrategy #AIGovernance #AICenterofExcellence #AICOE #AIMeasurement #Brigerton #Delotte #EY #IBM #JPMorgan #Kyndryl #McKinsey#Whistledown #TheAIPrecipice
