When AI shapes the advice, who answers for it?
Key takeaways
- Global Data Tue, June 2, 2026 at 6:51 PM GMT+7 5 min read Walk into a private bank today and the model is already in the room.
- The recurring failure I see has little to do with the algorithm.
- A capable model sitting on top of unclear ownership produces fluent output that nobody in the building can stand behind.
When AI shapes the advice, who answers for it? Global Data Tue, June 2, 2026 at 6:51 PM GMT+7 5 min read Walk into a private bank today and the model is already in the room. It drafts the client s quarterly report, suggests a rebalancing, summarises a decade of the relationship before the review meeting. The relationship manager reads it, mostly agrees, and sends it on.At some point a client will ask a plain question about a number or a recommendation: who decided this? The honest answer has to be a person. Most banks have wired AI into the front office faster than they have settled who that person is.
The recurring failure I see has little to do with the algorithm. It comes down to undefined decision rights. What is the tool allowed to do on its own? Who reviews anything that reaches a client? Who answers when the client pushes back?
A capable model sitting on top of unclear ownership produces fluent output that nobody in the building can stand behind. My SSRN work on AI governance keeps landing in the same place. These systems fail for organisational reasons, because the firm never decided who owned the result.