Glossary
Updated
Federated AI governance accepts that a single central team cannot scale to govern hundreds of AI systems across a global enterprise. The central function maintains the policy, the high-risk approval authority, and the audit-trail infrastructure; business unit or regional governance officers handle local intake, low-risk decisions, and contextual interpretation. The model only works if the central function maintains tight control over the policy itself; drift between business units is the primary failure mode.
Example
A multinational employer with operations across 39 countries appoints a Global Responsible AI Officer who maintains the policy and high-risk review, with regional Responsible AI Officers handling local intake and approvals. This preserves consistency while scaling capacity.