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AI Governance5 January 2026Brief Note
Brief Note · AI Governance
From AI Pilots to Governed Adoption
Why the next phase of AI work in institutions is operating-model design, not more experiments.
By Qiqing He5 January 2026
Pilots were the right first move. They are not a destination.
The governance gap
Institutions that scale without redesigning workflows, roles, and oversight tend to discover risk late — after trust has already been taxed.
What governed adoption requires
Clear ownership, procurement discipline, evaluation criteria that survive contact with real work, and a public line of reasoning leaders can defend.
About the author
Qiqing He is an AI workforce transformation strategist and founder of the independent Global AI Governance & Workforce Transformation Policy Observatory. His research draws on evidence from China and Asia.