In this episode of AI Governance with Dr. Freddie Seba, I sit down with Dr. Johnathan Cromwell (Associate Professor and Faculty Director of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Initiative at the University of San Francisco) to unpack the changes that occur when AI flips innovation on its head.
Instead of starting with a clearly defined problem and searching for a solution, teams increasingly start with powerful, pre-built capabilities—and leaders must decide where to apply them, what evidence to trust, and what constraints (governance parameters) must be in place before scaling.
Actionable insights for boards, trustees, and executive leadership:
- A practical value map for AI initiatives: exploit existing value, expand value, explore new value
- Why small, well-designed experiments beat big bets—and how data design prevents “signal” that is really just noise
- How to treat constraints as governance parameters: acceptable use, data boundaries, privacy/security, human decision points, logging/auditability, and escalation paths when systems fail quietly
- Why governance must tighten as autonomy increases, especially with agentic and embodied AI
- What AI literacy looks like as an operating requirement, not a training checkbox
- Why partnering with academia can strengthen oversight, evaluation, and strategy
Referenced reading discussed in the episode:
“Discovering Where ChatGPT Can Create Value for Your Company” (Harvard Business Review): https://hbr.org/2023/06/discovering-where-chatgpt-can-create-value-for-your-company
Show:
AI Governance with Dr. Freddie Seba
Practical Guide to AI Oversight for Boards, Trustees, and Executive Leadership.
Managing AI Governance and Ethics in a Growth Environment. Real. Bold. Impactful–in Plain Language.
Connect: Freddie Seba
AI Keynote Speaker | AI Ethics Speaker | AI Governance Workshops | AI Governance Podcast Host | AI Newsletter Creator | Faculty-Practitioner | Silicon Valley Founder + Former Exec | MBA (Yale) • MA (Stanford) • EdD (USF)
Read/subscribe: AI Ethics & Governance for Leaders Newsletter, publishes every Monday—practical guidance for fiduciary-grade AI oversight in a growth environment. Subscribe at freddieseba.com (and on Substack).
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