Are you harnessing the full power of your data? In a fast-evolving digital landscape, the intersection of AI and data governance is not just an opportunity — it’s a necessity.
AI and GenAI are redefining the boundaries of what’s possible; it’s crucial for organisations to understand its impact on data governance. AI and GenAI can improve data governance, but the deployment and management demand robust governance structures.
In this article, we delve into how AI technologies – such as GenAI for business glossaries and AI for data quality – are reshaping the landscape of data governance. And we explore the role of data governance in the implementation of AI in organisations.
1 Enhancing data quality
AI can play a significant role in improving data quality by automating data cleansing, standardisation and validation processes. AI algorithms can identify and rectify inconsistencies, errors and duplicates in datasets — ensuring that organisations have access to accurate, high-quality data that is fit for use. By leveraging AI for data quality, organisations can ensure they are feeding AI algorithms with accurate, reliable data.
2 Ensuring data integrity for trustworthy insights
AI systems help organisations ensure that data is both accurate and used responsibly to generate reliable insights. Effective data governance to maintain data integrity means that the organisation can rely on AI-generated insights to make more informed decisions. It’s about establishing a well-structured data governance framework to monitor and manage the data throughout the AI lifecycle. This approach to data governance is key in ensuring compliance, mitigating risks and fostering responsible AI practices.
3 Revealing data lineage and traceability
Understanding the lineage and traceability of data is crucial for data governance. AI can help organisations track the origin, transformation and movement of data across systems and processes. By leveraging AI algorithms, organisations can establish data lineage, ensuring transparency and accountability in data governance practices. This capability becomes valuable when addressing data quality issues, identifying data sources and complying with regulatory requirements.
4 Automating descriptions for data assets
Understanding the characteristics and context of data assets is crucial for effective data governance. GenAI can analyse data assets and automatically generate descriptions, providing valuable insights into the data's purpose, structure and usage. This AI-powered capability enables organisations to maintain an up-to-date inventory of data assets, facilitating better data governance practices and ensuring compliance with regulations such as GDPR.
5 Enhancing data classification and tagging
Data classification and tagging are essential for effective data governance. AI can analyse and classify data based on its content, context and sensitivity. By automatically tagging data, organisations can enforce data governance policies, ensure proper data handling and streamline data discovery and retrieval processes. AI-powered data classification and tagging also enable organisations to implement data retention and deletion policies, reducing data storage costs and minimising compliance risks.
6 Streamlining business glossary definitions
A well-defined business glossary is essential for effective data governance. Traditionally, creating and maintaining a business glossary has been a time-consuming, manual process. Now, however, organisations can use AI-powered tools to automate the process of preparing definitions. GenAI can analyse vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and generate accurate and consistent definitions, saving time and ensuring data governance compliance.
7 Strengthening data privacy and security
Data privacy and security are a growing concern in the age of AI. As organisations collect and process vast amounts of data, AI can help strengthen data governance by automating privacy and security measures. AI algorithms can identify sensitive data, monitor access controls, detect anomalies and flag potential security breaches. By employing AI for data privacy and security, organisations can ensure compliance with regulations, protect sensitive information and build trust with customers.
8 Facilitating continuous monitoring and governance
Data governance is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and governance. AI can play a significant role in automating monitoring activities, such as data quality checks, policy enforcement and compliance audits. By applying AI for continuous monitoring, organisations can proactively identify and address data governance issues, ensuring data accuracy, integrity and compliance in real time.
Conclusion
The integration of AI and GenAI into data governance represents a strategic shift, enhancing how organisations manage and utilise their data. It touches every facet of data management, and leads to more robust and efficient data governance systems, enabling organisations to manage their data assets with better accuracy, security and strategic insight. In 2024 and beyond, the fusion of AI and data governance will be a key differentiator for successful organisations.
PwC’s thought leadership in AI and data governance
This article just scratches the surface of AI and GenAI’s role in data governance. PwC is continuously exploring innovative solutions, and our strategies encompass a range of AI-driven approaches to address the complexities of modern data landscapes.* We focus on developing systems that are not only technologically advanced but also ethically aligned and user-friendly, ensuring data is not only precise but also handled with integrity. We are currently further exploring the interplay between AI and data governance. Our ongoing insights aim to equip organisations for the transformative journey of data governance in the AI era.
* To take just one example, PwC’s DQ+ tool uses AI to address data quality challenges effectively, making it an essential asset in data governance. It streamlines tackling common issues such as data inconsistencies and metadata gaps. And its AI-driven anomaly detection and auto-completion capabilities enhance data accuracy and utility.
How we can help you
Do you want to be at the forefront of this evolution? At PwC, we specialise in bridging the gap between AI potential and data governance solutions. We invite you to join us in this journey. Reach out to us to explore how our expertise can empower your organisation’s data governance, setting the stage for a future of informed decisions, compliance and market leadership.
Stay tuned for more updates and resources!
Contact us
Partner Technology Consulting & Innovation, PwC Belgium
Tel: +32 495 59 08 40
