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Why you should hire a chief AI ethics officer

Published:
September 29, 2021

With more complex artificial intelligence adoption growing rapidly across industries, the need for executive oversight within corporations is becoming more and more prevalent. As a result, the role of chief AI ethics officer (CAIEO) is on the rise. Francesca Rossi of the World Economic Forum outlines five important characteristics for a successful chief AI ethics officer. Here they are, along with the most interesting observations from our perspective: 

  1. Multi-disciplinary knowledge: The CAIEO requires a very diverse skillset and knowledge base. They must have a technical AI background, empathy for ethical considerations, as well as familiarity with social science, technology law, and business strategy. 
  2. Effective and inclusive governance: In large organizations, they will lead top-down, centralized governance initiatives and bottom-up efforts to select the right tools for distinct business units. 
  3. Strategic differentiation and business value: Emphasizing AI ethics can, and should, be a source of strategic differentiation connected to the company’s values and business model. 
  4. Public communication and advocacy: Although the laws and regulations surrounding AI are still emerging, CAIEO’s can showcase values and norms around ethical AI use that will benefit the company’s public perception today.
  5. Company-wide engagement: With such a complex issue, putting AI ethics into practices requires a company-wide effort and direct stakeholder engagement as we covered in Issue 9.
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Ethics & Responsibility
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