Building an energy center for responsible AI leadership

I had a conversation recently with the person whose job it is to drive positive impact at one of the world’s leading tech companies. Almost immediately we were on the topic of AI, and how it’s sparking a lot of anxiety among people who are fearful they could lose their jobs as a result of its implementation.

What he said was so reassuring: “It all starts with what we call responsible AI.” I’ve been thinking a lot about this in terms of how my organisation, The DO , works with our partners who are on their AI change journey. Because if it all starts with responsible AI, you need to have the pillars to support this and the people who will make ethical implementation part of their mission. 

So perhaps the real question is, how do you do that as an organisation? From my experience with our partners, I can share three approaches that I’ve seen are helping to create the pillars for responsible AI.

Start by focusing on your leadership. Because it’s an organisation's top leaders who set the tone and direction for ethical practices, ensuring that AI technologies are developed and used in ways that prioritise accountability, and are mindful of pitfalls such as bias and privacy violations.

Forget a course - form a club. Whenever there’s a big innovation on the horizon, the temptation is often for organisations to sign leaders up for an on-demand course, or ship them off to an elite institution for a brief retreat. But I've seen that it’s far more effective to create an ongoing energy centre for topics like this… a kind of club with regular meet-ups that becomes a safe space for honest debates and impactful decisions.

Showcase your investment in human intelligence. Senior leaders can actively demonstrate that they’re not only investing in AI, but also HI - human intelligence - by continuing to invest in reskilling and upskilling for people in the organisation. This shows people that they’re important, and that you see technology as an enhancer - and not a replacer - of people.

If you’re interested in learning how you can create an energy center for responsible AI leadership at your organisation, or building the skills for people in your workforce to succeed in the AI era, please reach out to me!