Navigating the Future with Ethical AI

The robust and rapid technological advancements in AI bring along an ongoing stream of innovations - something I highlighted in my last blog: ServiceNow Vancouver: How AI is Driving an Enterprise Evolution. But this pace of innovation also presents intricate ethical dilemmas and potential risks if misused. Much like the internet, AI is unlikely to be tempered by external mandates or directives. It's a superpower capability that requires a sensible operation to avoid adverse outcomes.  

At Thirdera we immerse ourselves in harnessing AI’s potential while championing ethical, legal, and responsible usage across every facet of our business - spanning from our internal teams to our customers and business partners. We do this not only to drive self-advancement; but also, to provide ServiceNow customers every opportunity to maximise transformational value.  

Being at the innovation forefront, Thirdera understands the importance of establishing parameters with emerging technologies to ensure long-term viability and sustainability. In this blog, I share some top-line AI best practices and principles that have helped keep our enthusiasm for AI in check while enabling our customers to uncover AI-driven platform value, ethically and responsibly.  

Guiding Principles of Ethical AI 

As we continue to understand the full power of AI and optimise its utilisation, we've recognised the need to be flexible and adaptable in response to contextual changes. However, here are some of the primary guideposts that have safeguarded our AI journey to date.  

Balancing Act Between Ethical Use and Innovation 

While AI promises unparalleled innovation, its application demands a circumspect approach to navigating through ethical predicaments. 

AI is a Tool That Demands Responsible Use 

Respecting privacy, ensuring fairness, and employing AI technologies responsibly is vital to adhering to ethical standards and legal obligations.

Cultivating Ethical AI Culture Across All Tiers 

Enabling our teams with the knowledge of responsible AI usage and establishing frameworks for its ethical application is crucial.

Ensuring Ethical AI Across Partnerships and Customer Interactions 

Formulating ethical, transparent, and mutually advantageous relationships with partners and guaranteeing that our AI solutions adhere to ethical norms for our customers is paramount.  

Other Guiding Principles:  

• Communication: Clear and transparent dialogues about AI's capacities and limitations are fundamental to building trust.
• Holistic Policy: Developing an inclusive AI policy that intertwines ethical, legal, and procedural guidelines is vital.
• Customer-Centric: Making sure our AI innovations align with our customers' values, needs, and ethical and legal norms.  

Begin to Establish Your AI Framework 

Establishing an AI framework that fosters a culture of responsible usage requires intentional action and a commitment to ethical and legal principles. Below are key activities that will enable you to harness the power of AI while maintaining ethical standards, increasing transparency, and building trust with stakeholders. 

Educate and Engage 

Regularly educate your teams on the ethical, legal, and procedural aspects of AI to foster a culture of responsible usage.

Holistic AI Policy 

Begin developing or refining your AI policy that cohesively blends ethical, legal, and procedural elements, ensuring it is clear, inclusive, and transparent. Access our complimentary AI Policy Starter Guide. 

AI Partner Vetting 

Establish stringent criteria for evaluating the AI practices of potential and existing partners, ensuring they align with ethical, legal, and IP-safe norms.  

AI Audit 

Conduct an internal audit of your AI usage and applications to ensure they comply with ethical standards and legal obligations.

Continuous Dialogue 

Maintain a continuous dialogue with customers, partners, and stakeholders about your AI initiatives, providing clarity on your ethical and responsible use policies.

Feedback Mechanism 

Implement a system to gather feedback on your AI systems from employees and customers to continually refine and enhance ethical AI usage. 

Complimentary AI Policy Starter Guide

In this exhilarating journey toward the future via AI, a cautious, ethical, and governed approach is mandatory. To help you navigate this new frontier, we created a complimentary AI Policy Starter Guide. This guide provides a strategic framework to implement AI capabilities in a thoughtful and responsible manner that aligns with your values and ethical and legal norms. Within, you will find best practices and considerations around data privacy, human oversight, and governance. Our aim is to equip you with actionable insights that empower your organisation to deploy AI responsibly.