How to Govern AI Agents, w/ Samantha Gloede of KPMG

What happens when AI agents move from small experiments to full enterprise deployment?

In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Samantha Gloede, KPMG’s Global Head of Risk Services and Global Trusted AI Leader, about what it takes to govern AI agents at scale. KPMG is deploying and advising on AI across a global workforce and client base, giving Sam a rare view into how enterprise AI is actually working beyond the hype.

We explore what a governed agent fleet looks like, why AI agents need different levels of oversight depending on their risk, and how companies can avoid letting autonomous systems run without accountability. Sam explains KPMG’s framework for thinking about agents, from simpler task-based tools to more sophisticated collaborators and orchestrators that work across systems, teams, and workflows.

We also discuss why many organizations are investing heavily in AI but still struggling to prove ROI, and why CEO-level ownership, cross-functional strategy, data readiness, security, and change management are critical to scaling AI successfully.

Sam shares where companies are seeing real traction, including technology, engineering, customer experience, onboarding, and value-chain transformation, as well as why regulated industries like finance and healthcare need extra care around transparency, compliance, and human oversight.

Finally, we get into the human side of AI adoption: whether companies are using AI to empower people or simply cut costs, how shadow AI emerges when employees do not have trusted tools, and how Sam uses AI in her own work and personal life as a working parent.