“Chaos bots”, “robotic corporate memory” and “living management information” are among the key technologies coming to a boardroom near you.

So says James Beasley, Nasdaq’s head of board advisory, EMEA, in an article looking ahead at the kind of tech that might have an impact on boardrooms around the world.

The conversation was given new legs when ChatGPT was launched, but a background conversation about the possibility of artificial intelligence (AI) acting as a board member has been around for years.

Beasley’s point is simple: boards should be preparing for new tech in their meetings and deliberations. Board portals and iPads have all become standard. They set the scene for a new phase.

“Boards need to be planning for the next stage of their evolution in the years ahead,” he writes, “and consider how emerging technologies might enable them to discharge their responsibilities more effectively through more informed and efficient decision making.”

“Chaos bots”, a kind of chat bot, and artificial intelligence, can be used to run “real-time” scenarios to dry-run potential boardroom decisions.

A robotic corporate memory uses AI to store and retrieve information from an organisation’s past—anything from customer records and product specifications to employee training records. Proponents say it can improve decision making, increase efficiency and cut costs.

Living management information is constantly refreshed and can be used to identify risks and opportunities by tracking trends and patterns.

For Beasley, there is much for boards to think about here: not least, which technology will suit them best and the associated risks, including over-reliance on technology. There are also cyber security issues to be considered.

AI au naturel

There is no shortage of speculation on the use of AI in a boardroom setting. Previously, the discussion focused on the possibility of AI directors. But the legal restrictions—particularly in the UK where the law says directors should be “natural persons”—appear to preclude that possibility.

However, that would not stop board members using AI and other tech for decision-making. Indeed, some scholars have speculated that in the future boards could be presented with a “duty” to use AI as part of the decision-making process, a kind of sense-test before human directors give a green light.

Floris Mertens , at the University of Ghent, is one such observer. He writes: “Considering that the analytical capabilities of AI may be superior to those of humans for a number of specific tasks, the ubiquitous expectation for directors to act on a well-informed basis may very well evolve into the duty to rely on the output of AI.”

Experts elsewhere have already aired concern that boards are not yet fully engaged in the impact of coming technology on their own jobs. It could be radical. Experts have speculated that, during a boardroom discussion, a director wearing a Bluetooth ear piece connected to AI could receive “suggested responses” or be notified “when someone is potentially being dishonest”.

That in turn may raise big questions for the future of boardroom dynamics. One AI author, Paul Levy, has speculated AI may become a company’s decision-maker, while boards evolve to be the “conscience” of their organisations.

For Beasley, now is the time for boards to find out just how AI and robots may affect their work. “No matter the challenges boards may face in the coming years, a duty of curiosity is key to meet the constantly evolving landscape of risks and seize new opportunities,” he writes.