Event report

Breakfast Meeting with EY Kenya : "Balancing AI-Led Innovation and Cybersecurity Risk to Enhance Shareholder Value"

AI is not just innovation, it’s a growth driver. Insights from EY East Africa show that securing AI is key to unlocking real business value.

We recently hosted a breakfast session in collaboration with EY East Africa, featuring Robert Nyamu, Partner and Consulting Leader, who shared valuable insights on balancing AI-driven innovation with cybersecurity risk to enhance shareholder value.

A key message from the session was clear: securing AI is not a cost centre, but a growth strategy.

Key Takeaways

• AI value is measurable
  Organizations can quantify AI-driven shareholder value by balancing potential upside against implementation and maintenance costs—highlighting the importance of structured investment approaches.

• AI governance drives performance
  Companies with established AI governance frameworks achieve significantly higher success rates in value realization, underscoring governance as a critical enabler.

• Emerging risks require new approaches
  The adoption of AI introduces new vulnerabilities, including prompt injection, data poisoning, and misuse of autonomous systems. Robust, layered governance before and during deployment is essential.

• Workforce transformation is key
  As AI reshapes roles, organizations must proactively reskill and redeploy talent to fully capture its benefits.

• Regulation is accelerating
  Frameworks such as the EU AI Act, SEC Cyber Disclosure rules, and DORA are elevating AI compliance to a board-level priority.

We extend our sincere thanks to Robert Nyamu and the EY team for delivering a highly insightful and practical session, enriched with real-world examples across sectors.