Two‑Thirds of General Counsels Report Rising Risk and Compliance Workloads

Unveiled at Diligent’s Annual Conference, the new data highlights expanding risk responsibilities and persistent gaps in AI, governance, and board insight

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Diligent Institute, the corporate governance research arm and think tank of Diligent, today released findings from its General Counsel (GC) Risk Index, revealing that senior legal leaders are operating in a persistently high-risk environment, rating overall organizational risk 7 out of 10. Two-thirds (67%) of GCs report spending more time on enterprise-wide risk and compliance than a year ago, as they are pulled deeper into enterprise oversight on top of traditional legal duties. The findings were unveiled at Elevate 2026, Diligent’s premier GRC conference.

“While AI is seen as a lever for efficiency, 48% of General Counsels say the impact hasn’t fully materialized yet,” says Dottie Schindlinger, Executive Director of the Diligent Institute. “As legal leaders take on broader enterprise risk responsibilities, fragmented systems and unclear ownership are becoming real blockers. If boards and senior management teams want decision‑ready insight, organizations must invest in integrated risk data, defined accountability across functions, and AI tools that are built for governance, not just efficiency.”

Risk remains elevated as GC responsibilities expand

• GCs see an increasingly complex and interconnected risk landscape, driven by geopolitical conflicts (52%), regulatory changes (48%), AI-related risks (39%), cyber threats (39%), and supply chain disruptions (33%). Geopolitical conflicts, in particular, have risen to the top concern, up from third in October 2025.
  
  
• As a result, nearly half of legal leaders devote up to 40% of their workload to enterprise-wide risk and compliance, while another quarter spend up to 60% of their time on these responsibilities, often in addition to traditional legal duties.

AI efficiency gains are real, but adoption remains inconsistent

• Only 52% of respondents report significant or measurable efficiency improvements from AI tools in the last six months, while 48% say they have seen no meaningful improvement.
  
  
• Those not seeing gains cite a lack of embedded tools, unclear KPIs, insufficient governance frameworks or tailored training, and ongoing concerns about security, cost and fit for purpose solutions.
  
  
• Among those seeing results, AI is often credited with accelerating first-level legal work, contract review, document-heavy tasks, and research and administrative processes, leading to faster turnaround times and reduced external counsel spend.

Low confidence in board risk reporting

• 79% of GCs lack confidence that current board reporting strikes the right balance between clarity and overload.
  
  
• As AI tools move into the boardroom, respondents identify key risks to manage, including data confidentiality and security, accuracy issues, overreliance on AI‑generated outputs, and lack of director familiarity with AI.

GRC systems lag rising expectations

• Only 19% of respondents say their organization’s governance, risk and compliance (GRC) systems are fully integrated, while 65% describe them as only somewhat integrated, and 16% report no integration at all.

“Since launching the GC Risk Index in 2025, risk levels have risen and remain persistently high,” says Kira Ciccarelli, Senior Manager of Research at Diligent Institute. “General Counsels are being pulled to manage the front lines of increasingly complex risk, yet many are still operating without the tools and support needed to respond effectively.”

Download the comprehensive report for key findings on rising organizational risk and the expanding role of GC in enterprise oversight.

About the GC Risk Index

The GC Risk Index 2026 was fielded in March 2026 and is based on responses from 147 senior legal leaders, including GCs, chief legal officers, heads of legal and other senior legal roles. Respondents represent a mix of publicly held corporations (43%), privately held corporations (50%), not-for-profit and government organizations. Organizations span multiple sectors, led by information technology (19%) and financials (16%), and range in valuation from under $300 million (28%) to $10 billion and above (20%). Respondents are headquartered primarily in North America (56%), with additional representation from Asia/Australia, the Middle East and Africa, Europe, and Central/South America.

About Diligent

Diligent is the AI leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions, helping more than 1 million users and 700,000 board members to clarify risk and elevate governance. The Diligent One Platform gives practitioners, the C-Suite and the board a consolidated view of their entire GRC practice so they can more effectively manage risk, build greater resilience and make better decisions, faster. Learn more at diligent.com

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