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At this lunchtime learning webinar, we heard from to Ruo Wu and Stewart Argo of law firm Shakespeare Martineau and from Ian McLintock of Charity Excellence about the legal considerations of AI.
One message came through very clearly: AI is no longer a future issue for charities, it’s a current governance issue. Most charities are already using AI in some form – and often invisibly, through tools like email, CRMs and fundraising platforms – yet many boards are unaware of the full extent of that use.
A particularly important reminder for trustees was that while tasks can be delegated, legal responsibility cannot. Trustees don’t need to understand algorithms or the technical detail, but they do need enough AI literacy to ask informed questions, understand the risks and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
The conversation also highlighted how AI touches all the core trustee duties we are already familiar with: acting in the charity’s best interests, managing resources responsibly, complying with data protection and equality law, and ensuring accountability and transparency. In practice, this means making sure AI is genuinely furthering the charity’s objects, not exposing beneficiaries to harm, discrimination, or data misuse, and not creating unmanaged reputational or regulatory risk.