Building AI governance: a strategic partnership in finance
Our client, a leading financial organisation in the insurance sector in the Czech Republic, faced limited visibility into ongoing and planned Artificial Intelligence initiatives and insufficient documentation to manage related risks. These gaps were compounded by an urgent need to comply with the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and other legislative requirements. The organisation also lacked internal capacity to meet the interdisciplinary demands of regulatory compliance and had a limited understanding of standardized processes and guidelines for Artificial Intelligence projects.
PwC adopted an agile, co‑creative approach that began with a comprehensive assessment of the client’s existing Artificial Intelligence landscape across IT, legal, data governance and education functions. That assessment informed a strategic Artificial Intelligence governance framework that laid out ethical implementation guidelines, compliance measures based on legal norms and security standards, and an AI methodology manual providing standard work procedures for managing projects. Practical work included technological assessments and a gap analysis to reconcile departmental needs with new regulatory requirements and to establish repeatable processes for moving from pilot proof of concept projects to full‑scale implementations.
The engagement produced a clear roadmap and documentation that transformed the client’s Artificial Intelligence practice and positioned the organisation to scale applications methodically and securely. Outcomes included improved operational efficiency, enhanced regulatory readiness and greater organisational flexibility for sustained compliance. The case underscores the role of interdisciplinary collaboration and agile methods in navigating complex regulatory environments and highlights a replicable model for financial organisations seeking to operationalise Artificial Intelligence while staying within compliance boundaries. PwC partner Tomáš Fiala described the work as demonstrating how robust Artificial Intelligence governance both meets regulation and enables growth.