The Imperative of AI Governance and Safety: Building a Sustainable Future for Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept confined to research labs or science fiction novels. It has rapidly become one of the most transformative forces in business, healthcare, education, and government. From automating mundane processes to enabling groundbreaking medical discoveries, AI has the potential to redefine the way the world operates. Yet beneath the excitement lies a sobering reality: many AI initiatives are failing, employees are resistant or even sabotaging deployments, and organizations are struggling to implement AI responsibly.

80–85% of AI initiatives fall short or stall, failing to meet expectations or deliver on promises. (Gartner via Credera, 2025)

At the heart of these challenges lies a lack of governance and safety. Without a clear strategy for managing risks, ensuring compliance, and embedding ethical principles into AI systems, organizations risk wasted investments, regulatory backlash, and loss of trust from customers and employees alike.

This article explores the growing importance of AI governance and safety, drawing from the current challenges organizations face and practical frameworks to build a secure, trustworthy foundation for AI success.

A “Perfect Storm” Brewing in AI

Headlines across industries paint a concerning picture. Despite the billions of dollars being invested in AI, research suggests that the majority of AI initiatives fall short of expectations. Some reports even indicate that a high percentage of organizations plan to shut down their AI efforts within a year due to poor returns or unforeseen complications.

Why is this happening?

First, AI is often treated as a technology project rather than a business transformation initiative. Without alignment between boardroom priorities and day-to-day operations, AI becomes siloed and disconnected from organizational goals.

Second, there is growing resistance inside the workforce. In some cases, employees view AI as a threat to their roles, leading to passive resistance—or in extreme instances, active sabotage of AI initiatives. Such resistance underscores the importance of transparency, reskilling, and change management as part of any AI deployment.

31% of employees self-report sabotaging AI efforts, with this figure rising to 41% among Millennials/Gen Z. (Writer survey via CIO.com, 2025)

Finally, organizations are wrestling with an absence of governance. While boardrooms want AI to be a top priority, they also recognize that it must be implemented with proper governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) practices. Without these guardrails, AI can expose organizations to data privacy violations, ethical missteps, and legal liabilities.

In short, the AI revolution is not failing because of a lack of innovation—it is faltering because of a lack of strategy, governance, and safety.

The Missing Methodology

One of the most pressing gaps in the current AI landscape is the absence of a strategic methodology that blends AI implementation with governance and employee training. Many organizations rush to adopt AI tools without considering the long-term implications for compliance, security, and workforce adoption.

The team at Black Talon Security recognized early on that there is no strategic methodology in the DSO industry to bring AI implementation and AI skills training with a focus on GRC to the marketplace. That is why we are bringing our “Family” of trusted AI services to the dental community. The new “Black Talon AI Transformation Trinity” offers organizations a true AI strategy with vetted and focused tactical planning.

1. Process Optimization Using Proven Methodologies

Before AI can be effective, organizations must ensure their existing processes are efficient and well-documented. Leveraging proven methodologies such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma creates a solid foundation for AI to operate effectively. Poor processes automated by AI only magnify inefficiencies and risks.

2. Detailed AI Infusion Guidance

AI is not a plug-and-play solution. It requires careful planning, integration, and monitoring. Detailed AI infusion guidance ensures that AI tools are not just deployed, but are aligned with organizational goals, ethical standards, and compliance requirements. This includes building transparency into AI models, ensuring explainability, and training employees to work effectively with AI.

3. GRC Awareness Across All AI Pipelines

GRC must be embedded at every stage of AI development and deployment. From data collection to algorithm training to decision-making outputs, GRC provides the oversight needed to ensure fairness, accountability, and security. By building GRC awareness into AI pipelines and workflows, organizations can proactively mitigate risks rather than reacting to crises.

Together, these elements form the basis of a sustainable AI strategy.

Why AI Governance and Safety Matter

1. Trust and Transparency

Without governance, AI can easily become a black box. When stakeholders—whether employees, customers, or regulators—cannot understand how decisions are made, trust erodes. AI governance frameworks that require transparency and explainability help build confidence in AI systems.

2. Regulatory Compliance

Governments and regulators around the world are racing to implement laws governing AI, from the European Union’s AI Act to the U.S. Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. Organizations that fail to prioritize governance risk non-compliance, fines, and reputational damage. Strong AI governance ensures compliance while positioning organizations as leaders in responsible innovation.

3. Risk Mitigation

AI introduces new risks, including bias, data privacy concerns, and unintended consequences of automated decisions. A robust governance framework enables organizations to identify, monitor, and mitigate these risks before they escalate.

4. Employee Engagement and Adoption

AI success depends on people. Employees must be equipped with the skills and confidence they need to work alongside AI tools. Embedding safety and governance into AI rollouts reassures employees that AI is designed to augment their work, not replace them, and provides clear guardrails for ethical use.

5. Long-Term Sustainability

Organizations that rush into AI without governance often face setbacks that cause them to abandon projects prematurely. In contrast, those that prioritize safety and governance build AI systems that can evolve and scale over time, delivering sustained value.

From Chaos to Clarity: A Path Forward

The “perfect storm” of AI adoption challenges is not insurmountable. By focusing on governance and safety, organizations can shift from short-term experimentation to long-term transformation. AI holds extraordinary promise, but without governance and safety, that promise can quickly turn into peril. The majority of AI initiatives fail not because the technology is flawed, but because organizations overlook the human, ethical, and compliance dimensions of AI adoption.

By embracing a structured methodology that combines process optimization, detailed AI infusion, and governance awareness, organizations can develop a true AI strategy—one that is vetted, tactical, and sustainable.

The path forward is clear: AI must not only be powerful but also principled. With proper governance and safety, AI can fulfill its potential as a transformative force for good, driving innovation while safeguarding trust, compliance, and human dignity.

We at Black Talon Security are in a unique position to deliver our 3-pillar approach to the DSO community. While the AI industry is presenting “AI First” and shiny Saas solutions, we focus on people-process-product using “Best in Class” proven methodologies executed by experienced AI solution engineers.

If you have questions or concerns about your organization’s own AI journey, we’re here to help. Whether you’re considering implementing a new AI tool or already have some in place—now is the time to get ahead of any potential issues. Contact Black Talon Security to learn more.

🚨 Recent notable healthcare cyber incidents:

Absolute Dental notified individuals of an event that may have involved sensitive personal information. On February 26, 2025, Absolute Dental detected suspicious activity in their systems. They secured our network, engaged forensic experts, and found that an unauthorized party accessed certain systems between February 19 and March 5, 2025. The access appears linked to a malicious version of a legitimate software tool used by their third-party service provider. Absolute Dental notified law enforcement and regulators and has since implemented additional safeguards and security measures to better protect its systems.

On July 21, 2025, Washington-based Dr. Michael Bilikas and Associates, doing business as 32 Pearls, reported a data breach to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 32 Pearls, a Seattle and Tacoma dental practice offering family, cosmetic and implant dentistry, discovered on May 22, 2025 that malicious software had encrypted files on its systems. An investigation, conducted with the help of cybersecurity experts, revealed unauthorized access occurred between May 19 and May 22, 2025. The data breach potentially exposed files containing individuals’ full names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers, and medical information. The 32 Pearls data breach reportedly impacted 23,517 individuals.

Welcome Dentistry, a California dental practice with multiple locations, experienced a data breach. The incident was reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Aug. 13, 2025 as a hacking incident. The information exposed in this breach included both personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI). Compromised information may include names, contact information, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license or state ID numbers, health or dental insurance information, dental records and payment information. The total number of affected individuals has not been released, but is over 1,000. Since both PII and PHI have been exposed, it is important for affected individuals to stay vigilant for signs of identity theft or fraudulent medical claims.

Dental Cyber Watch is sponsored by Black Talon Security, the recognized cybersecurity leader in the dental/DSO industry and a proud partner of Group Dentistry Now. With deep roots within the dental and dental specialty segments, Black Talon understands the unique needs that DSOs and dental groups have when it comes to securing patient and other sensitive data from hackers. Black Talon’s mission is to protect all businesses from the devastating effects caused by cyberattacks—and that begins with a robust cyber risk mitigation strategy. To evaluate your group’s current security posture visit www.blacktalonsecurity.com.