What makes an AI governance professional: A discussion with Ashley Casovan

Nearly a year ago, the IAPP expanded its mission in response to a rapidly changing digital environment to include AI governance, digital responsibility and cybersecurity law. The mission expansion took place a year after the IAPP hired Ashley Casovan to lead its first-ever AI Governance Center. Since then, Casovan has led the development of the center, which includes work helping to inform AI governance training and certification, a forthcoming AI governance textbook, and the AI Governance Global conferences.    Casovan came to the IAPP after leading the Responsible AI Institute as its executive director and previously worked for the Canadian government as director of data architecture and innovation.    She’s currently drafting a skills competency framework for AI governance.    Situated in Montreal, Casovan trekked south to spend time at IAPP headquarters in Portsmouth, NH. While here, she and IAPP Editorial Director Jedidiah Bracy discussed the makings of an AI governance professional. What skills are required and what is she seeing in this evolving profession? Here’s what she had to say.