As AI moves from buzzword to board-level priority, legal leaders – especially those closest to governance – are stepping into unexpected roles: not just as risk managers, but as AI champions.
And it makes sense. Who better to guide the responsible adoption of emerging tech than the people already tasked with balancing compliance, transparency, and strategic oversight?
From legal gatekeepers to governance enablers
The role of the CoSec has always been about more than just filings and minutes. It means enabling good governance, making sure the board has the right information, at the right time, to make confident decisions. But doing that isn’t easy.
Preparing for board meetings often means chasing down past materials, formatting documents, cross-checking disclosures, and tracking action items. High-stakes admin steals time that you could spend shaping recommendations or advising on risk. That’s where AI is starting to make a real difference.
Where AI is already helping
Forward-thinking legal teams aren’t chasing flashy AI experiments. They’re applying it where it solves real, recurring problems – faster, more accurately, and securely.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Board pack prep: AI can pull from past agendas, filings, and templates to help compile and format board materials- saving hours of manual work.
- Risk spotting: Some platforms flag potential legal or regulatory risks before you distribute materials.
- Summarisation: AI can condense dense board content into digestible summaries, helping directors get up to speed quickly.
- Meeting follow-through: From tracking open questions to generating minutes, AI can support the full board cycle- not just the prep.
For CoSecs, this isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about influence. With AI handling the admin, legal leaders can focus on what matters: helping the board stay aligned, informed, and forward-looking.
Bridging the gap between ambition and action
According to recent research, more than two-thirds of GCs are open to using generative AI for major legal use cases — and nearly half already are. But here’s the catch: three out of four legal departments still don’t have a formal tech roadmap.
That gap between ambition and action is where both opportunity and risk sit.
The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your entire tech stack to start. Many governance platforms are already embedding AI into familiar workflows – making it easier to test, learn, and scale responsibly.
What to watch out for
Of course, not all AI tools are created equal. If you’re exploring options, here are a few things to consider:
- Control: Can you see what the AI is doing- and override it if needed?
- Security: Is your data protected, and is the AI trained only on your organisation’s content?
- Context: Does the tool understand the nuances of governance, or is it a generic solution?
- Transparency: Are outputs clearly labelled, with audit trails and version control?
The best tools don’t just automate – they elevate the way you work.
Why legal is uniquely positioned to lead
Legal teams are already used to navigating ambiguity, balancing risk, and advising on emerging issues. That makes them natural leaders in the AI conversation -especially when it comes to governance.
By stepping into this role, CoSecs and GCs can help their organisations adopt AI in a way that’s not just compliant, but strategic.
And in doing so, they can redefine what it means to be a legal leader in the age of AI.
Want to see how legal teams are already putting this into practice?
This blog from Diligent explores how GCs are using AI to strengthen governance and support the board — without losing control.
This article was written by Hollie Pooley, Senior Field Marketing Manager & Team Lead NEMEA, at Diligent.
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