AMCHAM, in collaboration with EY, organized a program ‘Who Decides “Safe Enough” for AI:  Legal & Compliance’s Role in Advancing Adoption, Not Impeding It’ at EY Wavespace, Gurugram on May 6^th. The session brought together industry leaders and experts to deliberate on the evolving role of legal, governance, and compliance functions in enabling responsible AI adoption while balancing innovation, accountability, and regulatory preparedness. Ms. Bhawna Ranganathan, Co-Chairperson – Ethics & Compliance Committee, AMCHAM and Sr. Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Legal Compliance, Genpact, welcomed participants.

A panel discussion moderated by Mr. Arpinder Singh, India and Emerging Markets Leader, EY Forensic & Integrity Services, examined how organizations are defining acceptable AI risk thresholds, establishing governance and decision-making structures, and balancing business agility with legal and compliance oversight. Panelists reflected on accountability frameworks, board-level governance expectations, third-party and vendor risks, defensibility of AI-led decisions, and the role of human oversight in AI systems. The conversation further highlighted the need for scalable governance models that support responsible adoption without creating operational bottlenecks. The panel featured insights from Dr. Akhil Prasad, Board Member, Group GC & Company Secretary, Boeing India, Ms. Akila Agrawal, Senior Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Ms. Niyati Ojha, Legal Counsel, HP India, and Mr. Deepak Yadav, Head of Compliance – India & South East Asia (SEA), Kenvue. The panel was followed by a case study-based asset demo by Mr. Swapnil Sule, Director, EY Forensic & Integrity Services and team.

The program concluded with a fireside chat with Mr. Rajiv Chugh, Partner & National Leader, Policy Advisory & Speciality Services, EY, on ‘Data Protection in the Age of AI.’ It was moderated by Ms. Bhawna Ranganathan, Co-Chairperson – Ethics & Compliance Committee, AMCHAM and Sr. Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Legal Compliance, Genpact and Mr. Gaurav Ajmani, Associate General Counsel, Snapchat. The discussion focused on the evolving data protection landscape in India, organizational preparedness under the DPDP framework, governance and operational gaps, leadership response during data-related incidents, and the importance of building practical and implementable compliance approaches in an increasingly AI-enabled environment.