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P E E R T O P E E R M A G A Z I N E · W I N T E R 2 0 2 5 55 INGRID VAN DE POL-MENSING is Principal AI Solutions Evangelist at Opus 2, a leading legal software and solutions provider. An entrepreneur and former lawyer, Ingrid co-founded Uncover, an AI solution for litigators that was recently acquired by Opus 2. The best firms also make communication two-way. Associates and support staff should feel safe raising questions about AI use without fear of appearing uninformed. When people see that their input shapes policy, trust deepens, and compliance becomes self-reinforcing. ADAPTIVE, PEOPLE-POWERED GOVERNANCE Ultimately, what ties all three sources together is a vision of governance as a living ecosystem. From SGS, we learn that governance maturity depends on integrating people, process, and technology. From the IAPP article, we gain the idea of "adaptive governance" – constantly evolving oversight supported by collaboration and transparency. And from Thomson Reuters, we see how individuals like legal data intelligence analysts make that governance real in practice. Together, they point toward a future in which the firms that thrive invest as much in their people as in their platforms. Policies will always matter. Frameworks will always matter. But it is the people who interpret, apply, and improve them who transform governance from a checklist into a competitive advantage. That human-first approach also drives resilience. When regulations shift, as they inevitably will, firms with strong internal cultures of governance will not scramble to comply; they will already be aligned around shared principles of accountability, fairness, and trust. PRACTICAL STEPS FOR LAW-FIRM LEADERS Start with awareness: Make AI governance part of every lawyer's and technologist's professional vocabulary. Use short, role-specific training rather than abstract lectures. Build bridge roles: Identify and empower generalist legal technologists who can translate between disciplines and champion responsible use of data and AI. Create real communication loops: Form cross- functional governance groups to review AI tools, update policies, and share lessons learned. Reward collaboration: Recognize governance contributions in performance reviews. Adopt AI-governance platforms that centralize and automate oversight across the firm: These tools typically offer features such as model risk tracking, approval workflows for new AI use cases, vendor risk assessments, audit trails, and real-time monitoring for issues such as data drift or misuse. Keep governance adaptive: Treat every new AI implementation as a pilot to learn from, not a finished project. Continuous monitoring and iteration are signs of maturity, not instability. Law firms often talk about innovation in terms of speed. How quickly can they deploy new tools or respond to client needs? But as the SGS and IAPP research suggest, the real differentiator is not speed but adaptability—and adaptability starts with people. Firms that cultivate trust, literacy, and collaboration around governance will not only meet regulatory requirements but will be able to explain how their AI tools work, why they can be trusted, and how they safeguard both ethics and efficiency. In the end, AI governance is less about controlling machines and more about empowering humans. The future of responsible AI will be built, tested, and continually refined by the people who bring those policies to life.

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