At the Panoramai AI Summit, Crystal Dubois, a technology lawyer at Bonar Lawson with offices in Switzerland, Dubai, and Paris, delivered strategic insights on transforming AI governance from compliance burden to competitive advantage. Specializing in AI governance, data protection, and blockchain regulation, she provided frameworks for proactive risk management in an uncertain regulatory landscape.

Trustworthy AI Framework

Crystal defined comprehensive AI governance as « a framework of policies, of processes, of roles that organizations need to implement in order to enhance a trustworthy AI » centered on human-centric, reliable, and accountable systems throughout the complete AI lifecycle.

Proactive Governance Philosophy

« Organizations should not really wait on legal clarity on certain topics. So for instance accountability and liability, this is not yet regulated for AI and I think this is something that needs to come from the governance and from a voluntary point of view. » Crystal advocated for voluntary leadership rather than regulatory waiting.

European Regulatory Advantage

Crystal positioned Switzerland's regulatory approach as innovation-enabling: « Here in Switzerland there is the Federal Council, it stated that the regulation will be on the sector basis point of view. So this is actually quite good for innovation because it means that the regulation will be adapted based on the for each sector. »

Shadow AI Risk Management

Crystal highlighted knowledge security risks from unauthorized AI tool usage, emphasizing the importance of verified systems and proper data handling protocols. She stressed the need for frameworks enabling trust while preventing inadvertent trade secret disclosure through uncontrolled AI experimentation.

Organizational AI Leadership

Crystal predicted the emergence of dedicated Chief AI Officer roles, arguing that AI governance extends beyond data management to encompass broader organizational risk and opportunity frameworks requiring C-suite leadership.

Innovation Through Governance

« Having a framework in place and then it's also from a regulatory point of view... enables innovation because you ask yourself the right questions instead of developing and not being able to, you know, you come up with like there's a bit security threat, like your data is being stolen and you don't know how to answer it because you haven't asked yourself the right question. »

Key Achievement: Crystal demonstrated how proactive AI governance frameworks can enable innovation rather than constrain it, positioning European organizations to leverage regulatory clarity as competitive advantage while managing emerging risks through structured experimentation.