DE

§ 70 AktG · § 84 AktG · business judgment rule

AI governance: What organisational duties does the management board have?

By Ing. Mag. Patrick Eiler

The management board needs an organisation that identifies, assesses, controls and documents AI systems; it does not need to know every technical detail of an AI system.

Which AktG duties ground the AI organisation?

Section 70 AktG assigns management of the stock corporation to the management board. Section 84 AktG defines the diligence standard. For AI governance, this means appropriate information, control and escalation structures.

The business judgment rule in Section 84(1a) AktG protects business decisions only under conditions: no extraneous interests, adequate information and action for the benefit of the company. In AI use, adequate information becomes practical: is there an AI inventory, is the provider/deployer role clear, are risks, human oversight and controls documented?

What should the management board define?

Five building blocks: AI inventory, risk classification, responsibilities, human oversight and management review.

Building blockGovernance question
AI inventoryWhich AI systems are actually used, including vendor AI and GPAI?
Risk classificationWhich systems are high-risk or affect HR, customers, credit, insurance or safety?
ResponsibilitiesWho owns the system, business process, compliance, privacy, IT security and supplier control?
Human oversightWho can review, override, escalate and document AI outputs?
Management reviewHow often does management receive reliable information on inventory, risks, incidents and measures?

Relation to board liability

This page describes the positive governance programme. The existing board liability page describes the risk perspective where governance, documentation or oversight are missing.

Practical minimum

A robust starting point consists of AI inventory, role allocation, risk classification, policy, approval process, escalation path and regular reporting to management and supervisory bodies.

Ing. Mag. Patrick Eiler

About the author

Ing. Mag. Patrick Eiler

Patrick Eiler advises banks and insurers in Vienna on regulatory reporting, data architecture and AI compliance. More than twenty years in banking, insurance and financial services; speaker at the Hypo-Verband (expert session of 23 September 2026).

Translate duties into a control model.

We support the structuring of AI inventory, roles, controls and management reporting.

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Notice: This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Content reflects the reviewed status of October 2026.