A board effectiveness survey from AGB OnBoard found that higher education trustees and directors are adopting AI in board work faster than institutions are building formal AI governance. The survey reports 92% of board directors used AI for board tasks in the past six months, up from 69% the year prior, but far fewer have documented AI oversight responsibilities. The report ties the governance gap to external pressure: accreditation bodies are beginning to ask how institutions document decision-making that involves AI, and state legislatures are introducing oversight expectations. Faculty and donors are also watching how governance handles technology that can affect institutional operations and communities. AGB OnBoard’s analysis emphasizes that boards should not manage AI directly but must ensure management has an oversight framework and that boards receive meaningful reporting. It also reports a measurable difference in perceived board effectiveness: boards with enforced AI policy rate themselves higher than boards without one. The findings arrive as higher ed leaders confront AI-related compliance risks across admissions, instruction, and research administration.