AI Governance in Education: Building Responsible Innovation with Keith Stouder of ACT

Risk Management: Brick by Brick

In this new, limited series of Risk Management: Brick by Brick, host Jason Reichl sits down with Keith Stouder, Vice President of Privacy and AI Governance at ACT for Episode 2 of ‘Documentation & Organization,’ for a fascinating conversation about building AI governance frameworks that enable innovation while managing risk responsibly. With nearly 30 years in IT spanning automotive, government, healthcare, and education, Keith brings a unique perspective on how organizations can embrace AI transformation without compromising data privacy or ethical standards.

Discover how ACT manages one of the largest educational data stores while leveraging AI for student assessment and policy development, why Keith's team chose a "green light until red" approach rather than starting with restrictions, and how to quantify AI risk using the same frameworks applied to traditional operational risks. Learn practical strategies for executive buy-in, employee enablement, and building governance committees that actually keep pace with rapid technological change.

To find out how TrustLayer manages risk so that people can build the physical world around us, head to TrustLayer.io.

Podcast Host: Jason Reichl

Executive Producer: Don Halliwell

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 - Intro: Welcome to Risk Management Brick by Brick
• 00:37 - Keith's Journey: From IT Infrastructure to AI Governance Leadership
• 02:13 - The Natural Evolution: Why AI Governance Fits Within Privacy Teams
• 03:53 - ACT's Data Challenge: Managing Hundreds of Millions of Educational Records
• 06:27 - The Two-Tier Approach: Browser Copilot vs. Secured Enclave Strategy
• 08:27 - Driving Adoption: AI Governance Websites and Mandatory Training
• 09:41 - Real-World Application: AI as Human Reader for Exam Scoring
• 11:35 - Defining Responsible AI: Quality Assurance and Ethical Testing
• 13:10 - Starting From Scratch: Executive Buy-In and Proof of Concept
• 13:47 - Quantifying AI Risk: Moving Beyond High-Medium-Low Categories
• 16:14 - Risk Management's Elevation: From Cost Center to Executive Committee
• 18:38 - Vendor Responsibility: The Liability Challenge in AI Contracts
• 19:53 - The Insurance Question: Will AI Exposure Become Its Own Line?
• 20:45 - Risky or Too Risky: Keith's Rapid-Fire Risk Assessment
• 22:19 - Keeping Governance Current: Teams Channels and Knowledge Sharing
• 24:15 - Final Thoughts: Science Fiction Becoming Nonfiction

Episode Resources:

• ACT
• TrustLayer

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