TORONTO, May 5, 2026 — As U.S. and international regulators increase scrutiny of how AI is governed and deployed, Alphabet’s board has eliminated clear accountability for overseeing the technology’s growing risks – just as AI becomes central to the company’s business. Investors say formal board‑level oversight of AI risks is a baseline requirement for a company of Alphabet’s scale and influence.
SHARE, together with Parnassus Investments and PFA Pension, has filed a shareholder proposal asking Alphabet’s board to update the Audit Committee Charter to formalize oversight of the responsible development and deployment of AI, including AI‑related risks that could affect users’ human rights. The proposal will go to a vote at Alphabet’s 2026 annual general meeting this June
“Alphabet is rapidly expanding its development and use of AI without clear chartered Board-level oversight, which ultimately reduces transparency and diffuses accountability across the Board,” said Juana Lee, Associate Director, Corporate Engagement at SHARE. “Investors need confidence that the board has a clear mandate to oversee AI risks and the downstream impacts on people and trust. Formal AI oversight would establish clear accountability at the board level, enabling ongoing monitoring, informed decision-making and timely escalation when risks arise.”
Shareholders point to recent legal cases as evidence that AI risks are no longer theoretical. In 2026 alone, Alphabet has faced lawsuits tied to AI‑powered products, including a US$68 million settlement over claims that Google Assistant recorded private conversations without consent. Alphabet and Character.AI have also settled lawsuits alleging that AI chatbots caused harm to minors.
Despite this growing risk exposure, Alphabet’s board removed civil and human rights oversight from its Audit and Compliance Committee in October 2025 without sufficient transparency on this decision. Shareholders say the move created a gap in accountability by leaving no board committee clearly responsible for broader human rights risks, including whether and how critical AI-related risks and impacts on human rights are being systematically monitored at the board-level.
Alphabet is also falling behind its peers on AI governance. Companies such as Accenture, Meta, Microsoft, eBay, Cisco, and Comcast have already assigned AI oversight to board committees, reflecting what investors describe as emerging industry norms.
PFA Pension – Rasmus Bessing, MD, ESG Investments & Products:
“As peers have formalised AI oversight at the board level, investors expect the same of Alphabet. AI is becoming increasingly central to the company’s business, bringing both opportunity and risk – and making clearly defined board‑level oversight of AI risks and related human rights impacts essential.”
Parnassus Investments – Marian Macindoe, Managing Director for Sustainable Investment Strategy:
“AI is clearly material to Alphabet’s future. Investors need confidence that Alphabet is addressing AI risks with appropriate rigor, transparency and accountability. Adding formal committee-level responsibility to the Audit Committee Charter would help ensure Alphabet is systematically monitoring risks tied to the responsible development and deployment of AI, to avoid unintended consequences and enhance trust and long-term shareholder value.”
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Amanda Panacci, Account Director at Media Profile amanda.panacci@mediaprofile.com.
