Maximising the Value of Advanced Technology for Governance: AI, Blockchain, Crypto & Quantum Computing

Programme Outline

Boardrooms are under unprecedented pressure to keep pace with technological disruption while preserving trust, resilience, and long-term value. PwC’s latest global CEO survey reports that 63 % of Asia Pacific CEOs believe their business will not be economically viable in ten years without significant transformation. At the same time, board surveys show directors eager to harness emerging technologies for growth, but are concerned about cyber, data, and reputational risks that could quickly become board-level crises if not properly governed. This half-day programme is designed to help Board Directors and Senior Executives close that gap moving from general awareness to informed, constructive oversight of AI, blockchain, cryptocurrency and quantum technologies.

Artificial intelligence is already embedded in many core business processes, from credit scoring and customer analytics to HR and compliance, often without full board visibility. Recent board research shows that only 23% of boards have reassessed corporate strategy for AI’s impact and just 23 % have audited where AI is currently in use, while a minority (36 %) have adopted a formal AI governance framework. At the same time, global boardroom studies by Deloitte highlight AI as a top agenda item for directors, linking it to ethics, cybersecurity, data privacy and reputational risk. For boards, this creates a clear oversight challenge: ensuring management is using tools such as generative AI and large language models responsibly in risk management, compliance and due diligence, without introducing new “black box” risks that undermine trust or breach regulation.

Beyond AI, distributed ledger technologies are reshaping how value and trust are recorded. The OECD has flagged blockchain as having major potential for corporate governance, particularly in areas like transparent shareholder voting, immutable recordkeeping and real-time audit trails. At the same time, institutional interest in digital assets is no longer fringe: EY’s 2024 survey of institutional investors notes rising allocations and strong intentions to expand exposure to digital assets, while KPMG’s work on institutional adoption of crypto-assets highlights growing regulatory clarity as a key driver of mainstream uptake. These trends mean boards must now consider whether, and under what safeguards, their organisations should engage with tokenisation, digital assets or blockchain-based infrastructure and what this implies for governance, disclosure, and internal controls.

Quantum technologies are also emerging into the commercial sector, more quickly than expected. Quantum computing has enormous potential for positive impact, but also significant risk. . The World Economic Forum warns that advances in quantum computing could compromise today’s cryptographic standards, threatening the confidentiality of financial transactions, intellectual property and critical infrastructure. Law-enforcement and cyber agencies are already sounding the alarm: a Europol-convened Quantum Safe Financial Forum has urged banks and financial institutions to start identifying vulnerable cryptographic systems now, while the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has called on major organisations to transition to quantum-safe cryptography by 2035. For boards, quantum is no longer a distant “R&D topic” but a forward-looking governance issue: are management teams mapping quantum risks, planning cryptographic upgrades, and ensuring that today’s long-lived data will remain secure in a quantum world?

Anchored in these global developments, this interactive half-day programme equips Directors and Senior Executives with a practical understanding on how emerging technologies can be used to strengthen governance. Through focused briefings, case studies and discussion, participants will explore how AI can strengthen compliance and oversight, how blockchain and digital assets may transform transparency and financial strategy, and how quantum computing could open up amazing new possibilities but also upend current cybersecurity assumptions.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this program, participants will:

1. Gain a high-level understanding on how AI, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and quantum computing are changing the business governance landscape.
2. Recognize risks and opportunities these technologies bring to board decision-making and oversight.
3. Identify practical ways to strengthen governance, transparency, and compliance using emerging technologies.
4. Gain confidence to make informed, forward-looking decisions that prepare their organisations for the future.