As more corporations emphasize the use of artificial intelligence in operations and business strategy, an uncomfortable truth has emerged: Finding corporate board candidates with AI expertise and substantial board experience is proving difficult.

The scarcity of directors who have taken part in successful AI transformations at major institutions has elevated AI to become one of the fastest-growing concerns of many institutions according to the Heidrick & Struggles 2026 Board Monitor US report. As corporate board members examine the current composition of their boards, how can they create a succession plan that ensures they will have AI-literate board members in the future? They may be forced to “build their own board members.”

According to the Heidrick & Struggles report, for 2025, new board appointments at Fortune 500 companies lacked significant technology experience. The report revealed that:

• 19 percent had technology sector experience at some point in their career;
• 6 percent had been appointed to their board’s technology committee; and
• 6 percent have held or currently hold a chief technology officer, chief information officer or chief data officer role.

Although companies prefer adding board members with proven prior board experience, the report points out that “a large pool of deeply experienced AI-literate directors has not yet fully emerged” and “longtime directors and CEOs very often don’t have current AI expertise.” Therefore, corporations interested in making sure their boards have AI-expertise may need to approach board recruitment in untraditional ways.

The report states, “companies must ensure they have the executive attraction, retention, development and succession planning processes to ensure they will have leaders—including on boards— with the other forms of knowledge and expertise they will need in the future.” This includes AI, but boards will also need to anticipate other future challenges to their business and determine the type of expertise that will be needed to mitigate the risks those challenges pose before they emerge.

To identify future board directors, board members may want to consider the following:

Strengthen relationships with professional organizations in technology and other relevant industries. Companies may need to be more intentional about finding emerging talent in areas that can help their organization. As key executives attend industry conferences to gain insight into current developments in their field, they should also be open to identifying presenters at those events or other executives they meet as potential board candidates. Establishing relationships with the heads of professional organizations can yield recommendations of potentially suitable candidates as well. While these individuals may not have board experience, they may possess vital skills that your company needs in the short term. In the long term, you may be able to be coached into viable board candidates in the future.

Look internally for candidates who can step up to become an AI-leader. As many companies continue to cut jobs, industry leaders will take steps to invest in their human capital. Identifying people already in your organization who have the aptitude for understanding AI is an essential activity for all organizations. People in your organization should have an intimate understanding of your business model. It may be easier to pay for a group of executives to be taught AI expertise. They can then return to apply the expertise at your company instead of you searching for outsiders that are in very short supply.

Require several board members to become AI-literate and serve on a committee dealing with AI transformation. Although board members have more than enough to do, it might be necessary for some members to concentrate specifically on AI—especially if it is going to be a major part of the business model in the future. You may need to hire a third party to begin bringing the designated board members up to speed. Almost every director is going to have to improve their understanding of AI, so avoiding it isn’t productive. Integrating AI into the business has become a new board responsibility by default.