Balancing innovation and trust: IBM AI Ethics Board members reflect on IBM implementing responsible AI principles

Since 2018, IBM’s approach to responsible AI has been guided by foundational Principles for Trust and Transparency. But having principles alone is not enough. To infuse our principles across our business, we know that we must operationalize them in meaningful and practical ways. That’s where the IBM AI Ethics Board comes in.

The IBM AI Ethics Board is at the center of IBM’s enduring commitment to trust. Comprised of a diverse and multidisciplinary group of leaders from across the company, the IBM AI Ethics Board provides governance and decision-making as IBM develops, deploys and uses AI. It also sponsors workstreams that deliver thought leadership, policy advocacy, research and education and training about AI ethics to drive responsible innovation of AI and other emerging technologies. As a part of those responsibilities, the IBM AI Ethics Board also assesses individual use cases that could potentially raise ethical issues.

As IBM celebrates the five-year anniversary of its AI Ethics Board, four Board members reflect on what being at the frontline of IBM’s AI ethics journey has meant to them.

Over the years, and with great leadership and strong company-wide support, the IBM AI Ethics Board has become a proactive and agile integrated AI governance mechanism that enables teams to build, use and deploy AI in a responsible, safe and sustainable way. From high-level principles to concrete actions, including risk assessment, education and tools, the AI Ethics Board provides a central component of governance needed to exploit the amazing opportunities that AI gives us, while being able to identify and mitigate relevant risks. The assets created by the Board, as well as the lessons learnt over the years, are an indispensable and practical guidance for IBM, our clients and all the companies that want to start or accelerate their responsible AI path. Francesca Rossi, IBM AI Ethics Board Co-Chair and IBM AI Ethics Global Leader

Most organizations on AI transformation journeys recognize the need for trust and transparency in the use of AI. IBM is helping many such organizations with technology solutions and best practices. As global leader of Solution Architecture teams in IBM Technology Expert Labs, I see the IBM AI Ethics Board play two important roles as our teams engage with clients. The primary role is that the Board provides oversight to ensure AI solutions we implement for clients to adhere to IBM’s principles and policies. A secondary role is that the IBM AI Ethics Board becomes a role model and reference for organizations looking for guidance on how to set up their own AI governance boards. John Thomas, IBM AI Ethics Board member and Vice President & Distinguished Engineer, Worldwide Solution Architecture, IBM Technology Expert Labs

I believe case studies will be taught about IBM’s trustworthy and ethical use of AI, in part thanks to the work of the AI Ethics Board. Since our work with the World Economic Forum in 2018, the Board has provided a compass and beacon to translate ethical concepts into implementable actions. I am especially proud of the AI Ethics by Design approach, making sure AI Ethics is not only about technology, but equally human centric. Jesus Mantas, IBM AI Ethics Board member and IBM Global Managing Partner

I have had the pleasure of presenting several times to the AI Ethics Board and have found the experience hugely beneficial to our team as we look to deliver AI innovation for HR and our employees. The knowledge and insights that the Board always brings to any proposal is critical in enabling us to follow the principles of AI Ethics and in providing that, from a workforce perspective, humans will continue to make decisions about humans and AI just helps us make more informed ones. I feel very privileged to now join the AI Ethics Board and look forward to seeing how I can help in giving support to others across IBM. Jon Lester, incoming IBM AI Ethics Board member and Vice President, HR Technology, Data & AI

At IBM, we believe that an AI rising tide can and should lift all boats. The IBM AI Ethics Board is a critical mechanism by which we hold ourselves accountable to the ethical development and deployment of technology so we can build an AI future we can all trust. As AI continues to enable new use cases and unlock new value, IBM’s AI ethics journey continues, and we are committed to embedding ethics into the AI lifecycle with the help and guidance of the IBM AI Ethics Board.

Learn more about the evolution of the IBM AI Ethics Board

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