Definition
Digital Information Governance (DIG®) is a discipline for keeping AI-influenced decisions defensible and auditable, ensuring a company's information is accurately represented, its decisions are traceable, and its AI use is provable to regulators, partners, and courts.
In plain terms
When AI shapes a decision, who can answer for it later? DIG is the discipline that makes sure the answer is always "we can." It keeps a record of what the AI recommended, what information it used, who reviewed it, and on what authority the decision was made, so the decision can be defended to a regulator, a partner, or a court.[1]
How DIG differs from information governance
The phrase looks close to "information governance," but the two govern different things. Information governance, as defined by Gartner, ARMA, and AIIM, is about the lifecycle of records and data: how information is created, stored, retained, and deleted.[2] Digital Information Governance is about decisions: whether an AI-influenced decision can be defended after the fact.
The governance layers
Most organizations already run several governance disciplines. DIG sits at the top of the stack:
| Discipline | What it governs |
|---|---|
| Data governance | Governs structured data: quality, lineage, access, and cataloging. |
| Information governance | Governs all information and records: retention, compliance, e-discovery. |
| AI governance | Governs models: bias, drift, explainability, and model risk. |
| Digital Information Governance | Governs the decision: whether an AI-influenced decision is defensible and auditable. |
The four pillars
Information Provenance
Where the information feeding a decision came from, and whether it can be trusted.
Decision Traceability
A record of what was decided, by what (human or AI), on what basis, and who is accountable.
Representation Integrity
Keeping the company accurately represented across AI systems, search engines, and data environments.
Audit Readiness
Being able to prove, on demand, that AI-influenced decisions met their obligations.
Frequently asked questions
Is Digital Information Governance the same as information governance?
No. Information governance manages the records and data lifecycle. Digital Information Governance manages whether AI-influenced decisions are defensible and auditable. DIG is decision-centric; information governance is records-centric.
Is DIG a registered trademark?
Yes. DIG® / Digital Information Governance® is a registered trademark of Matthew Bertram (USPTO Reg. 99559923).
References
- NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0): Govern, Map, Measure, Manage. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2023. View source ↗
- Information governance: the records and data lifecycle discipline (storage, retention, disposition), distinct from AI decision governance. ARMA International, Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles; AIIM. View source ↗
- EU AI Act, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Official Journal of the European Union); ISO/IEC 42001:2023; Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (TRAIGA). View source ↗
- USPTO Trademark Reg. No. 99559923, Digital Information Governance / DIG, owner Matthew Bertram. View source ↗