A CEO doesn’t need to read every AI law to understand why regulation matters. It shows up in subtler ways: a sales team using a chatbot with client data, a hiring manager testing an AI screening tool, a board member asking whether the company has an AI policy. AI governance has moved from the policy department into daily operations.

The difficulty is that governments are not converging on a single answer. Some are embedding human dignity in constitutional law. Some are moving fast through executive orders and procurement rules. Some prefer risk-based obligations tied to potential harm. The philosophies differ—and for business leaders, so does the exposure. Law arrives too slowly for the pace of deployment, then lands suddenly and at full cost.

 …