Organisations performing regular audits of AI systems are more than three times likely to achieve significant business value from their generative AI investments compared to those neglecting systematic evaluation, according to new Gartner research.

A survey by the technology research firm reveals that implementing robust governance practices significantly boosts returns on AI initiatives while simultaneously reducing associated risks.

"AI governance really is a case of doing well by doing good, but it depends on the specific governance practice," said Kjell Carlsson, VP Analyst at Gartner. "Some just help reduce risk and support legal compliance, while others also boost the value delivered by GenAI initiatives."

The research, conducted in June 2025 among 360 respondents from organisations across industries, identified five governance practices that substantially increase the likelihood of reporting higher GenAI-driven business value.

Five Key Governance Practices That Boost GenAI Value

1. Regular AI system assessments: Organisations implementing assessment and monitoring processes are triple as likely to report high GenAI value. Gartner recommends deploying AI governance platforms to streamline assessment, auditing, and remediation processes.
2. Customised guidance and training: Companies providing persona and role-based guidance are twice as likely to achieve higher value levels, while those offering GenAI ethics training see 1.7 times better outcomes.
3. AI-specific usage policies: Establishing policies that both encourage responsible usage and mitigate major risk areas significantly improves outcomes.
4. Governance features and products: Investment in third-party AI governance products increases the likelihood of high value by 1.9 times.
5. Strategic GenAI expansion: Organisations that safely expand deployments beyond low-risk and trusted users are 3.3 times more likely to report higher GenAI value.

The research highlights the dual benefit of implementing strong assessment protocols – both enhanced compliance and significantly improved business outcomes.