Security leading AI governance and data practices for 2026

Editor's Note

A stronger focus on AI governance and data practices will be a major directive in the year ahead, according to a December 15 news story in Becker’s Health IT.

One important place to start is refining how AI tools are reviewed before they are deployed. For example, a health system is building a more structured AI intake process designed to match governance oversight with risk. The goal is to stratify their AI intake process to create various tiers for approvals. Lower-risk AI tools/use can move forward more quickly, while applications from known and trusted vendors will receive “a timely and efficient review” status. Meanwhile, higher-risk AI tools will move through a third channel that allows for comprehensive evaluation to assess and manage potential risks involved.

Health systems are also ramping up secure reviews around how enterprise data are organized, governed, and protected. They are more tightly controlling how data move through their organization, including leveraging cloud data warehouse technology investments. In related work, leaders from this organization are developing deeper relationships with major technology partners to support its data strategy.