Last Updated on April 30, 2025 Jenn Smith
Monthly Industry Trends & Insights From Colligo CEO Tim Brady
AI Holds Enormous Potential—But Without Strong Governance and Quality Metadata, It Risks Repeating the Mistakes of the Past
Amid the spring stretch of 2025’s conference circuit, I’ve had the chance to connect with hundreds of industry leaders and practitioners. These conversations—often squeezed between sessions and too many airport meals—offer invaluable real-time insight into what organizations are working on and the challenges they’re facing.
Here are some key takeaways from the first half of the season.
AI: Exciting Potential, Familiar Problems
AI continues to dominate the conversation. It’s everywhere—and yet, still in its early days of adoption within the information management and records management space.
My evolving perspective: while AI is undeniably powerful, it often surfaces long-standing challenges in new packaging. Without proper foundations, the same governance and data quality issues persist—just at AI speed and scale.
A noteworthy trend? The rise of “zero trust” policies toward AI applications. Many organizations are now blocking AI apps by default, requiring users or departments to request approval before using them. This cautious approach is proving wise. We’ve seen the consequences when tools like Microsoft Copilot are introduced before permissions, data architecture, and governance controls are ready.
Read more about how to Get Your Data AI Ready Now to Ensure Business Success or view our free webinar Is Your Data Ready for AI? 
Taking the User Out of the Retention Equation
There’s a growing consensus: users shouldn’t have to manage records retention decisions. Whether in email management or broader records strategies, the less you ask of the knowledge worker, the better. Automate retention wherever possible.
With Colligo, for example, administrators can disable the option for users to apply retention labels manually. Instead, emails or attachments simply inherit the retention label of their destination folder—a powerful solution aligned with this growing trend.
One large organization we spoke with offers a 99-year retention label—and, unsurprisingly, users are selecting it. If it’s an option, it will be used, reinforcing the importance of designing governance systems that guide behavior automatically, not optionally.
Learn more about How to Make Email Records Management Easy with ‘Auto-File’.
Email: Still a Universal Pain Point
At ARMA Houston, I kicked off my session with a familiar question: “Who struggles with email management?” Nearly every hand in the room went up—just as it has in every previous audience.
Email remains one of the toughest challenges for organizations, especially in regulated sectors. And with five out of every six records entering via email, this is not just a nuisance—it’s a strategic imperative. The good news? It’s a solvable problem. We’re seeing excellent results from organizations that have implemented smart, policy-driven solutions.
AI Needs Clean Fuel: Metadata and Governance Matter
Here’s a guiding principle: text is fuel for AI. That’s why metadata, labeling, and lineage are so critical. Running AI over text and structured metadata is vastly more efficient (and affordable) than doing the same over voice or image files.
We’ve always known the risks of bad data. But with Gartner estimating that poor data quality costs organizations an average of $15 million per year, the stakes are now even higher.
For more, view our webinar How to Make Metadata Your Secret Weapon in the Age of AI.
Other Debates Heating Up
The following issues sparked debate across multiple events:
- What qualifies as a record? The definitions still vary widely.
- Disposing of data remains a bigger challenge than retaining it.
- Is it safer to keep too much data—or not enough? Organizations are grappling with this trade-off, especially as data volumes and AI integration increase.
We’re at a critical intersection: AI is advancing rapidly, but its success depends on strong information governance. That means high-quality metadata, clear retention policies, and automation that takes the burden off users. These are foundational—not futuristic—investments.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Colligo. Think of them as ‘strong opinions, loosely held.’ Proceed with curiosity and a sense of humour!
