How to bridge the AI skills gap in your boardroom

The world is shifting — fast. AI is no longer on the horizon; it’s already influencing decisions, reshaping industries, and transforming how organisations operate. And yet, many boards are still squinting at it from a distance.

A recent study by Deloitte found that 41% of board members reported their organisations were only slightly or not at all prepared to address talent concerns related to generative AI adoption. Despite the buzz around artificial intelligence, too few boards have the confidence or clarity to engage meaningfully with the topic. 

The result? A growing gap between what boards know and what they need to know. This isn't just a matter of digital literacy — it's a strategic blind spot that could compromise resilience, risk oversight, and long-term value creation.

In this article, we’ll explore what the AI skills gap looks like in the boardroom, why it exists, and — most importantly — what can be done to close it.

What is the AI skills gap – and why does it matter at board level?

The AI skills gap in the boardroom isn’t about coding or defining algorithms — it’s about understanding the strategic implications of AI well enough to lead. It’s the space between AI’s real-world impact and a board’s ability to engage meaningfully with it. And that space is growing.

This gap becomes dangerous when boards shy away from AI conversations altogether — or worse, assume it’s “someone else’s job”. But AI is no longer just an IT issue. It’s a governance issue. 

Imagine a company introducing AI-powered hiring tools. If the board lacks the awareness to ask: “What data is this model trained on? Could this unintentionally reinforce bias?” They’re asleep at the wheel. Good governance starts with asking the right questions.

Bridging the AI skills gap is therefore about ensuring every boardroom conversation has the depth — and the curiosity — to keep pace with change.

How well-equipped are today’s boards to handle AI?

While most boards recognise that AI is changing the game, far fewer are talking about what that means for their own governance. According to recent studies, over 90% of directors believe AI will impact their company — but only 28% say it’s regularly discussed in the boardroom. That gap speaks volumes.

Many boards are still treating AI like a buzzword — something for a future strategy day, rather than a permanent agenda item. Others rely too heavily on operational teams, assuming AI belongs in the IT or innovation silo. But that approach leaves boards reactive, not prepared.

Warning signs your board isn’t ready

• AI is mentioned in strategy decks but rarely discussed in meetings
• There’s no shared understanding of what AI means for your industry
• Decisions involving AI are being made without board-level challenge
• Training and education for directors hasn’t kept pace with the topic

Think about how boards once approached digital transformation. The ones who leaned in early are now reaping the benefits — stronger resilience, sharper customer insight, better growth. AI is no different. The earlier boards engage, the stronger their oversight and foresight will become.

What stops boards from closing the AI skills gap?

Often, it’s not capabilities that hold boards back — it’s comfort. AI feels technical, fast-moving, and full of jargon. For many, it’s easier to let others take the lead. But this hesitation creates a vacuum where accountability should live.

Here are some of the most common blockers:

1. The fear of feeling out of depth

Many board members built their careers before AI took centre stage. That can make the topic feel alien — even intimidating. Nobody wants to ask the ‘dumb’ question, so the discussion gets delayed or diluted.

2. The misconception that AI is purely operational

Some boards see AI as something for IT or data teams to manage. But this misses the point. AI is reshaping entire business models, from pricing strategies to customer service. That makes it a board-level issue — not just a backend upgrade.

3. Lack of time or prioritisation

With packed agendas and rising regulatory pressures, AI can fall to the bottom of the list. But without carving out time to build fluency, boards risk being blindsided by decisions they don’t fully understand.

4. A lack of clear ownership

If no one is championing AI learning on the board — not the Chair, not the Corporate Secretary — it’s unlikely to gain traction. It becomes an abstract idea, not an integrated priority.

How can boards address the AI skills gap — without becoming data scientists?

Good news: your board doesn’t need a crash course in machine learning. But it does need enough understanding to ask smart questions, challenge assumptions, and spot both risk and opportunity. AI fluency at board level is about confidence, not complexity.

Here’s how boards can build that confidence:

Step 1: Start with curiosity, not curriculum

Encourage an environment where no question is too basic. Create space in meetings for learning — not just reporting. A 15-minute AI spotlight in every board cycle can build knowledge steadily, without overwhelming.

Step 2: Bring in fresh perspectives

Invite AI experts to run briefing sessions tailored to your industry. Skip the theory — focus on use cases, emerging risks, and what other boards are asking. It’s not about hype. It’s about relevance.

Step 3: Use plain-language resources

From short explainer videos to AI primers for directors, the right materials make learning frictionless. No jargon. No PhD required. 

Step 4: Leverage peer learning

Boards learn best from each other. Share case studies, discuss AI-related decisions, and reflect on what went well — or what caught you off guard. Make it part of the board’s ongoing development, not a one-off session.

Step 5: Give your Corporate Secretary a leading role

Corporate Secretaries are perfectly placed to keep AI education on track. They can flag where learning is needed, recommend resources, and ensure it stays on the agenda.

How to build AI fluency for your board

Here are some practical ways to build AI fluency and being address the AI skills gap for your board: 

Start small. Start practical. 

And most of all, start talking.

If AI is still a distant topic in your boardroom, the first move isn’t a deep dive — it’s a ripple. One question. One briefing. One board paper that goes beyond the buzzwords. Fluency doesn’t arrive overnight, but it does build quickly when boards treat AI like any other strategic force: with attention and intent.

Begin by asking: Where does AI already touch our business? You might be surprised. Maybe it’s in customer support. Maybe it’s powering your marketing analytics. Maybe it’s quietly deciding who gets a loan — or who doesn’t. Once you find the touchpoints, you’ll see how close to the core it already is.

Define the gaps

A short, anonymous readiness assessment can reveal where board members feel confident — and where they’re bluffing through. That insight is gold. Not for calling people out, but for guiding the conversation forward.

Make AI a standing item

Not as a topic to ‘tick off’, but as a lens to apply across strategy, risk, ethics, and innovation. Just like cybersecurity earned its seat at the table, AI now deserves one too.

Assign an owner

And perhaps most important: choose a board member to carry the torch. Not the expert, necessarily — but the one who keeps the conversation warm, who brings the occasional article, who nudges the agenda. Momentum has a funny way of sticking when someone is gently steering it.

How can technology help bridge the AI skills gap?

If your board meetings are still packed with PDFs and last-minute updates, there’s a good chance AI isn’t even making it onto the agenda — let alone shaping the conversation. That’s where the right technology earns its keep.

Using the right technology for your board meetings is a great way of giving board members hands-on experience in using AI — which will help build confidence, fluency, and buy-in. This isn’t about replacing the board’s function — as Hamza Rehman, AI expert, explains, “AI should enhance human work, not replace it entirely. Humans provide critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and responsibility — things AI can't replicate. By positioning human oversight as a safeguard for better, more reliable results, you can ease concerns and promote collaboration between AI and people.”

Digital board management software — like Sherpany — does more than manage documents. This software helps create the kind of meeting environment where emerging topics, like AI, get the air they need.

Here’s how: 

• Pre-meeting preparation: Sherpany provides a centralised, digital workspace giving board members time to absorb AI briefings, review thought leadership, or scan through industry case studies — all before stepping into the room.
• In-meeting agility: With everyone literally on the same page, chairs can introduce short AI learning slots or fast-track relevant decisions without logistical headaches.
• Post-meeting follow-through: Meeting minutes, training actions, and next steps are captured in one place — easy to return to, easy to build on.

This isn’t about adding more to your meetings. It’s about creating the conditions for sharper, more future-focused conversations . Technology won’t teach your board AI — but it will remove the friction that so often stops you getting there.

Closing the AI skills gap for your board starts today

AI won’t wait for the boardroom to catch up. But the good news? It doesn’t need to. Bridging the skills gap doesn’t mean becoming experts — it means becoming engaged. Curious. Ready to lead.

Boards that build AI fluency today are better equipped to steer their organisations through uncertainty. They ask sharper questions. They spot risk sooner. They unlock opportunity faster. And they show stakeholders — from employees to investors — that the future is being taken seriously.

Start with one question in your next board meeting: How ready are we, really? Then keep going. Because leadership in the age of AI starts not with answers, but with the courage to keep learning.

Ready to empower your board for the AI era? Book a free demo and see how Sherpany can help you lead the change.