CASE STUDY 5 e&’s structured approach to cross-functional AI governance As AI adoption accelerated across functions, e& (formerly Etisalat Group) identified a need for structured governance that could guide decentralized use case owners in navigating complex risks. e& established an AI Governance Steering Committee – with representatives from data privacy, cybersecurity, enterprise risk and technology – to provide advisory support, risk reviews and escalation paths for use cases. Regular cross-functional refreshers help the committee remain aligned with evolving standards. Key insight Embedding governance through functional steering ownership increases early-stage risk flagging. Further, ongoing regulatory refreshers ensure AI risk awareness remains actionable and enabled across decentralized teams. Government leaders Key roadblocks organizations encounter from the broader ecosystem Unclear responsibility allocation across the AI value chain, creating systemic risks and deterring organizations from establishing responsible governance frameworks Lack of shared accountability mechanisms among AI stakeholders, diluting oversight and weakening governance across the AI supply chain Actions for government leaders –Increase responsibility clarity on AI supply chain: Motivate companies to allocate responsibility internally by clarifying responsibility at the supply chain level. Key actions include: –Examine the problem: Understand the varied underlying challenges to clarifying allocation, especially in the generative AI era, to enhance the efficacy of solutions.43 –Promote ecosystem actions: Addressing supply chain challenges requires coordinated efforts. Governments should incentivize industry evaluations and benchmarks, define criteria for responsibility transfers and advance international alignment on responsibility allocation norms. –Exemplify responsible AI leadership: In addition to setting up AI leaders across government functions – such as a national chief AI officer, AI leaders in government agencies or a cross-cutting chief AI officers council44 – publicly appoint or designate senior governance leaders with well-defined responsibilities. A supporting body, such as Canada’s proposed AI ethics review board, can enhance framework adoption by providing responsible AI guidance to higher-risk or impact projects.45 Advancing Responsible AI Innovation: A Playbook 20

Advancing Responsible AI Innovation A Playbook 2025