Data Governance for Generative AI: Insights from Parker & Lawrence Growth Advisory and Castlepoint

Parker & Lawrence Growth Advisory have underscored the critical role of data governance in generative AI (GenAI) implementations, particularly in their latest Bitesize Research piece on data governance strategies for GenAI rollouts. Building on insights from their recent publication, Generative AI in Risk and Compliance: Friend or Foe, this independent research report delves into the necessity of a modern, streamlined approach to data management to fully leverage GenAI’s potential.

GenAI can be transformative, yet its effectiveness hinges on careful data governance. As Parker & Lawrence highlight: “While every organisation wants the benefits of GenAI, nobody wants it rummaging through every corner of their data stores, particularly if that data has been gathering dust for years.” This calls for a framework that determines which files and data points are safe for GenAI to access, which to restrict, and which to eliminate altogether.

Recognising Castlepoint as a leader in data governance, Parker & Lawrence approached our team to gather key insights on preparing data for GenAI implementations. At the heart of our approach is the application of a holistic autoclassification model. This model empowers organisations to assess the risk and value of their content accurately, either hardening protections or responsibly disposing of obsolete or sensitive data before it is exposed to GenAI’s far-reaching capabilities.

Parker & Lawrence aptly describes the data governance challenge as a matter of “clean, avoid, remove” - an approach reminiscent of the classic “snog, marry, avoid” scenario. Organisations must make strategic decisions about their data, aligning GenAI rollouts with compliance, security, and risk mitigation goals.

Castlepoint’s approach is creating a more explainable, fair, secure, and defensible foundation for generative AI adoption. Our research indicates that without these controls, the promise of GenAI cannot be fully realised due to the significant risks. In fact, recent reports into Copilot rollouts reveal that the expected gains are often undermined by risks that exceed organisational thresholds.

By addressing these challenges, we are enabling organisations to safely integrate GenAI, reducing potential liabilities and enhancing operational resilience for a compliant and successful GenAI rollout.

Learn more about Castlepoint's Generative AI solutions.