AI is changing how companies operate, and how they’re governed. At EQ Investors (EQ), we believe that change needs to be managed carefully.

Without the right guardrails, AI exposes companies to real risks: legal, operational, and reputational. This matters most in sectors like finance, healthcare, and recruitment, where AI-driven decisions directly affect people’s lives. As stewards of our clients’ capital, we take that seriously.

Our approach to responsible AI works on three levels.

We engage directly with fund managers across our portfolios. We ask how they identify and manage AI-related risks, what their governance standards look like, and whether they’re applying them across their holdings. We set clear targets and expect progress.

Since 2022, we’ve been members of the World Benchmarking Alliance’s Collective Impact Coalition on Ethical AI. This gives us direct access to companies including Intel, BT, and PayPal – and a clear view of what good AI governance looks like in practice. Fund managers who participate tend to be better equipped to drive real change.

We also attend AGMs where AI governance is a material issue. In 2025, we raised questions directly at the BT AGM about their AI governance structures. These conversations need to happen at the highest level.

Our aim is straightforward: to ensure the companies our clients are invested in use AI responsibly, and that innovation doesn’t come at the expense of people or society.