Dr Christine Chow On Why AI Standards Matter To Investors
AI Standards Stack #02
Podcast
Background:
In this second episode of the AI Standards Stack Podcast, guest Dr Christine Chow joins hosts Professor Michael Mainelli and Adam Leon Smith to discuss responsible AI governance from an investor’s perspective. Christine, a long-time investment professional and early advocate for responsible AI since 2012, shares insights drawn from her pioneering work, including leading Federated Hermes’ 2019 industry-first investor expectations on responsible AI and data governance.
The conversation centers on why robust data governance forms the foundation of effective AI governance, covering data provenance, bias in raw, model and synthetic data, transparency, explainability and accountability. It explores practical challenges across evolving AI paradigms, from efficiency tools to generative, agentic, multimodal and embodied systems, including use-case identification, prompt engineering, meaningful human-in-the-loop oversight (versus passive “on the loop” complacency), board-level engagement, and societal risks of over-reliance such as impacts on mental health, confidence and critical thinking. The episode examines the fragmented global standards landscape (EU AI Act risk categories, NIST voluntary frameworks, ISO 42001), investor approaches to company engagement, environmental concerns around AI infrastructure (with solutions like heat reuse and water recycling), tensions between free speech and content guardrails, cultural complexities in human rights, and the push for concrete implementation guidance to balance innovation with safety and societal well-being.
Guest:
Dr Christine Chow is a senior investment leader and globally recognised expert in responsible investment, technology, and sustainability. She is an Emeritus Governor of the London School of Economics and Political Science, following the completion of her six-year term as a Member of Court and the Investment Committee. Christine is Managing Director and Head of Active Ownership at UBS Asset Management, where she leads Impact Engagement, Stewardship, and Thematic Engagement activities. With 27 years of experience across investment, research, and consulting, she has played a pioneering role in advancing responsible investment, earning a United Nations award nomination for her work. She serves as Vice Chair of the International Corporate Governance Network and as an honorary adviser to the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council in Hong Kong, where she also chairs the Sustainability and Climate Action Task Force. Christine has held senior roles at leading global asset managers including Schroders and Federated Hermes, and was named Sustainable and ESG Investment Woman of the Year by InvestmentWeek in 2022. She holds a PhD in responsible investment, is an alumna of LSE and the University of Melbourne, and has completed executive education at Stanford University.
Date
Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Cost
Free
Resources:
Speaker(s):
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Dr Christine Chow
Advisory Board Member
The Inclusion Initiative
Chairman:
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Professor Michael Mainelli
Chairman
Z/Yen Group
