Dennis D. Hirsch (Ohio State U (OSU) Michael E. Moritz College Law) et al. have posted “Responsible AI Management: Evolving Practice, Growing Value” on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
One hears often today of the need to choose between AI ethics and AI opportunity. Such statements are premised on a trade-off between responsible AI, and competitive AI. But does such a trade-off truly exist? This article reports the results of a survey of business managers knowledgeable about their firm’s responsible AI management (RAIM) practices. The study – conducted by Ohio State researchers in partnership with the IAPP – explored three questions: (1) What are the components of corporate RAIM programs? (2) Who in the organization is responsible for RAIM? and (3) Does RAIM create business value for organizations and, if so, what types of value does it generate?
The researchers found that: (1) Business responsible AI management programs consist of 14 main practices that range from tracking legal and policy developments, to adopting AI ethics principles, to appointing a responsible AI committee, and beyond; (2) Companies were most likely to assign the RAIM function to people with expertise in privacy, although they also relied significantly on those with risk and data analytics expertise. This could mean that effective AI governance requires a combination of skills; and (3) Responsible AI management creates significant business value by improving product quality, building trust and reputation, preparing the organization for future regulation, and enhancing employee relations. This suggests that there may be a win-win, rather than a zero-sum, relationship between responsible, and competitive, AI. If upheld in future work, this finding could move the conversation about RAIM beyond the realm of safety and values and into the sphere of business AI strategy.