Operationalising ethics in AI

Just like any other function within a business, adoption and use of AI involves risk management. Unlike many other functions, though, the potential repercussions and impacts of AI are wide-ranging, extending to ethical as well as legal and practical issues.

The earlier a company can understand the potential impacts of AI and put best practices and policies in place, the better. These will depend on the business and its application, but issues of inaccuracy and bias have already been well-documented, as well as the associated risks to physical safety, human rights, and even political fairness. 

There are already multiple indicators, standards and frameworks available, many of which have been established and approved by leaders in the industry.

For example, the AI Standards Hub in the UK is led by The Alan Turing Institute in partnership with the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) which is supported by the UK Government. Digital Catapult has also published the Ethics Framework, Digital Transformation Strategy Framework and Data Strategy and Governance Framework to create more tools and resources to navigate and ensure ethical AI use. The Innovate UK BridgeAI programme, in collaboration with Trilateral Research, released a report which highlights the importance of responsible and trustworthy AI. The International Organisation for Standardisation has also established an AI standard, BS ISO/IEC 42001, developed by experts from 50 countries, including the UK. So there’s usually no need for a business to build an evaluation system from scratch. What is important is that their chosen set of standards and frameworks works for the needs of their industry, and is appropriate for their use case.

Throughout the development stage, companies should use their chosen framework to undertake regular assessments and checks to see how the technology is performing against their ethical standards. Doing this regularly helps to identify emerging problems and root causes, so that they can be addressed before dependent parts of the system are built.

Once the product or service goes live, it is important for the company to regularly monitor how it is being used and facilitate ways for users to raise concerns. When concerns are raised, they should be put through the company’s governance process, so that those with accountability for ensuring the product is meeting required ethical standards are regularly informed and equipped to make decisions. Businesses need to allocate resources to make sure that problems can be managed and necessary changes implemented throughout the product’s lifespan.

Innovate UK BridgeAI empowers UK businesses in high-growth sectors, driving productivity and economic growth through the adoption of Artificial Intelligence. We bridge the gap between developers and end-users, fostering user-driven AI technologies.

With a focus on ethics, transparency, and data privacy, we aim to build trust and confidence in the development of AI solutions. Strengthening AI leadership, supporting workforces, and promoting responsible innovation, BridgeAI shapes a collaborative and AI-enabled future.