Certification against a publishedstandard for AI board readiness.
Directors and boards demonstrate their AI knowledge, judgment and governance practices through defined assessments and evidence requirements.
Disclosure
A third-party credential the nominating committee can cite in a proxy statement, a shareholder letter or a proxy advisor conversation.
Defense
Caremark asks whether the board built and used an information system for a mission-critical risk. A documented certification is that evidence.
A published standard
Certification is assessed against our published AI Native Board Standard, which defines the requirements for director and board-level AI readiness.
For directors: 3 credentials.
AI Fluent Director
- Prerequisite
- None
- Modules
- 1, 2, 3, 7, 8
- Contact hours
- 12
- Assessment
- Written exam
- Term
- 3 years
- Upkeep
- 6 hours a year
AI Forward Director
- Prerequisite
- Fluent, 90 days
- Modules
- + 4, 5, 6, 9
- Contact hours
- 22
- Assessment
- Exam + case defense
- Term
- 3 years
- Upkeep
- 10 hours a year
AI Native Director
- Prerequisite
- Forward, 180 days
- Modules
- + 10 and 1 track
- Contact hours
- 30
- Assessment
- Portfolio + oral review
- Term
- 2 years
- Upkeep
- 12 hours + attestation
The AI Fluent exam
60 scenario-based questions, 90 minutes, proctored, 75% to pass. 4 versions rotate every quarter from a bank of 400.
Try a real exam question
Management reports its customer service AI cut handle time by 34% in a 3-month pilot on 1 product line in 1 language. What is the most material unanswered question before a global rollout?
The AI Forward case defense
A disguised real investment case arrives 72 hours ahead. The candidate gives a 10-minute board-level challenge to a 3-person faculty panel, then takes 15 minutes of questions.
The AI Native portfolio
A leadership credential, not a knowledge credential. Candidates submit a board paper they shaped, evidence of a charter or agenda change they drove, and a 2,000-word reflection on a decision they got wrong. Then a 45-minute oral review, and proof they have taught or mentored other directors.
For boards: the AI Native Board seal.
Held by the board as a body for 2 years, with annual maintenance. It rests on 9 tests.
Charter
A named committee holds written responsibility for AI oversight, with protected discussion time.
Calendar
AI appears as strategy content at least every quarter, not as an information item.
Reporting
Management reports on metrics the board chose: adoption, value, unit economics, incidents, inventory.
Risk register
AI risks have named owners, tolerances and escalation triggers, including AI-enabled attacks.
Strategy
Every major decision paper includes a section on how AI changes it.
Capital
An AI investment framework with stage gates, and proof the board kills initiatives.
People
AI outcomes on the CEO scorecard, AI leadership in succession criteria, a written composition view.
The board's own practice
The board uses AI in its own work under a written policy on privilege and retention.
Renewal
The board re-assesses its AI capability every year and acts on the result.
3 tiers
Structure and charter
Cadence
Reporting
Risk and security
Strategy, capital and people
AI Native tier only
From scoping to seal in 7 weeks
Scoping with chair and secretary
Director self-assessments
Evidence audit
Observed discussion
Findings and benchmark
Readout and tier decision
Evidence refresh
Recertification
The board receives
- The seal, with guidelines for the annual report, proxy and website
- An entry on the public register with tier and expiry
- Proxy disclosure language reviewed by counsel
- The findings report and peer benchmark
- A named standards liaison for the term
The seal is not
- A legal safe harbor
- An opinion on the company's AI systems
- An audit of any model
- A substitute for counsel
It certifies the board met a published standard on the date assessed.
A board that falls short
- Receives a 12-month remediation program
- Gets a fixed date to be re-assessed
- Is listed as certified only once it passes
Lapsed and revoked credentials stay visible on the register.