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IBM Office of Privacy and Responsible Technology
As AI innovation accelerates, organizations need effective AI governance to build and manage machine learning (ML) models responsibly. The IBM® Office of Privacy and Responsible Technology (OPRT) knows that this challenge is not just a technical issue—it’s a business imperative.
For years, the approach IBM has taken towards responsible AI has been guided by its foundational Principles for Trust and Transparency, which has been operationalized across the business by the IBM AI Ethics Board. In 2022, OPRT launched the Privacy and AI Management System (PIMS) to help IBM manage ML models with reliability, facilitate compliance with privacy and AI regulations, and promote transparency and accountability.
However, these critical components worked in parallel, not in integration, with PIMS. To take the next step in its organizational AI and AI lifecycle governance journey, OPRT needed to integrate and centralize its mechanisms. As the stakes continue to rise, the question remains: Can organizations prioritize innovation and responsibility in equal measure?
The only viable answer is “yes”. And the OPRT initiative is a great example of how companies can drive innovation while mitigating associated risks.
Building on its established privacy foundations, the team developed the Integrated Governance Program (IGP), a unified approach to responsibility and compliance. “A comprehensive governance program can strike a balance between the business value promised by AI and the need for oversight and risk management, enabling responsible AI at scale,” explains Lee Cox, Vice President for Integrated Governance and Market Readiness at IBM.
By creating a holistic, end-to-end view of all data and models built and used by IBM, IGP scales governance workflows around data, privacy, and AI without disrupting innovation and business processes. This is achieved by integrating technologies such as IBM watsonx.governance™, IBM Cloud Pak® for Data, IBM Knowledge Catalog, and IBM OpenPages®.
Led by business unit AI leads, the program provides more proactive risk management and helps manage compliance with regulatory requirements, considering the unique priorities and interests of various stakeholders. Steven Eliuk, Vice President and CTO for Data, AI & Governance at IBM, notes: “We unified our data intake processes, streamlining procurement, research, and development to help overcome data management challenges.”
IGP has empowered IBM to deploy uniform internal data standards, enabling data transparency and trustworthy AI development, while also allowing for innovation at scale.
Cox notes that “Data accuracy is just the foundation. PIMS lays the groundwork, and IGP elevates data acquisition to new heights, orchestrating the entire process from sourcing to delivery. Together, they form a dynamic duo, empowering organizations and unlocking new opportunities for competitive advantage.”
The program has helped IBM’s efforts to scale AI responsibly, driving the development of trustworthy AI-driven products and services while supporting compliance across its operations. In fact, IBM GraniteTM foundation models are recognized for their transparency, thanks in part to their adherence to the data governance and risk criteria allowed through IGP.
For example, over the eight-month period since beginning to test and implement enhanced data provenance standards in early 2024 as part of IGP, the standards have helped contribute to gains in operational efficiency at IBM, including estimated:
- 58% reduction in data clearance request processing time for third-party data.
- 62% reduction in data clearance request processing time for IBM-proprietary data.
- More than 1000 data sets and models approved for potential re-use.
IGP helps facilitate faster access to quality data, allowing developers to build more responsible models and systems, not only for internal use but also for partners and clients who use IBM AI solutions. And the adaptability of IGP enables IBM to both address current technologies and prepare for emerging ones, like agentic AI. Cox summarizes: “We’ve created a trusted partner ecosystem, where our clients can tap into the same value and expertise that we’ve derived from our own transformation.”
The IBM Office of Privacy and Responsible Technology oversees global policies for data protection and confidentiality. It collaborates with the IBM AI Ethics Board to guide governance and decision-making processes for AI ethics policies and practices, fostering a culture of responsibility and trust within IBM.
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