ITIL AI Governance (Version 5) – a must for the wish list, now the AI “genie” is out of the bottle

James Finister – AI ethicist and lead author, ITIL AI Governance (Version 5)

The genie is out of the bottle: AI is already here and being used in your organization – and it brings a range of both risks and opportunities.

At the risk end of the spectrum, recent high-profile news about AI breaking out of sandbox environments to hack into company systems amplifies governance issues and is a massive wake-up call for corporate governance generally.

And we’re seeing a convergence between shadow use and corporate use of AI tools, along with questions about the value and benefits it is (or isn’t) delivering. But the issue isn’t intrinsically about the uptake of AI, but the way it’s governed; and corporate governance currently is lagging behind.

For this reason, the new ITIL AI Governance (Version 5) certification is addressing a very current and pressing need in the market: getting the best value from AI while managing its risks.

While the ITIL AI Governance White paper – released in 2025 – remains valid as an introduction to professionals and organizations starting their AI governance journey, the rapid changes in the governance world relating to AI mean the guidance had to be expanded and brought up to date in terms of legislation and new standards. For example, IEEE standard 7014.1 – 2026, covering the ethics of emulated empathy in general-purpose artificial intelligence systems and the impact of the EU AI Act.

ITIL AI Governance (Version 5) is deliberately not a technical manual but more a management guide with lasting relevance beyond any one technology.

AI governance: towards doing good business

Where earlier AI governance advice under the ITIL banner focused more on the risks, the latest guidance has a different emphasis: it’s about doing good business and realizing the real benefits from AI.

As society at large and stakeholders become more worried about AI, the need for trust is paramount. People want to know they can trust organizations’ use of AI because, if it goes badly wrong, the consequences can be catastrophic.

Though AI can add value to organizations, poor governance is currently impeding that.

Embedding good governance begins by understanding what an organization is, its culture, values, its place in society and relationship to its supply chain and customers, etc. Everything from a governance perspective – including corporate decisions – needs to be aligned with these organizational factors and legislation.

Governance must be in place 24/7 and is a responsibility for every employee. It means being mindful of stakeholders, the workforce, consumers, people funding AI and those providing security. It’s about making good decisions by having a practical methodology to evaluate AI maturity, how to grow it and manage the risks.

Rooting AI governance within ITIL

Why should professionals and organizations with both interest in and responsibility for governing AI turn to ITIL and its latest guidance?

ITIL has always been embedded in the real world; offering practical, proven guidance based on what people are really doing in their organizations – some of which number the largest corporations globally.

From an AI perspective, ITIL gives people a multi-dimensional and managerial view of governance which is missing from much of the available guidance.

In terms of gaining valuable and practical knowledge for AI governance, the certification focuses on a core ITIL concept of value co-creation with suppliers, customers and stakeholders. The ITIL guiding principles – such as focus on value, keep it simple and practical, progress iteratively with feedback – remain relevant to AI governance, as do the new, advanced certifications in ITIL (Version 5), namely ITIL Service, ITIL Product, ITIL Experience, ITIL Strategy and ITIL Transformation.

Studying and certifying in ITIL AI Governance (Version 5) needs no prior knowledge or qualification in ITIL and its practical approach – including more than 40 examples of AI in action – provides an effective way of making the topic accessible to anybody.

And adding the elements of ethics and stewardship to the field of AI guidance is essential as professionals need to be aware of their country’s ethical standards and legislation. Without paying attention to these issues, they won’t meet the requirements of good business and are likely to lose customers.

Organizational benefits of AI governance

Training and certifying in ITIL AI Governance (Version 5) will raise people’s awareness of issues around AI, the implications of using it in organizations plus greater appreciation of international standards and legislation.

It will also help them to see how AI fits within an organization’s value streams and requires humans “in the loop” to create a genuine source of value. And it will allow them to scan current corporate governance to know whether it’s fit to manage the impact of AI today.

While many organizations will already have a range of governance and control systems, this is about enhancing what they’re doing through an AI governance lens.

These are new skills for a new world, in which people are blaming AI for failing to deliver on expectations while not recognizing that the core issues are management and governance.

Current IT and corporate governance of AI in most enterprises is unfit for purpose. Many organizations are finding that existing governance frameworks were not designed to address the unique opportunities and risks presented by AI. This makes the adoption of AI highly dangerous and, consequently, the upcoming period critical for organizations to establish proper AI governance for their own protection and the return on investment in AI that they crave.