An Ethical Approach to Artificial Intelligence
13 March 2025
What is the ethical issue?
The rapid development and evolution of AI technologies, while unleashing opportunities for business and communities across the world, have prompted a number of important ethical questions.
Governments, businesses and the public alike are demanding more accountability in the way AI technologies are developed and used, trying to find a solution to the legal and ethical issues that will arise from growing integration of AI in society.
For businesses in particular, AI raises questions about the level of control retained over the machines’ decision-making processes, and how to ensure that AI systems always act in a way that is aligned to the organisation’s core values. Working with regulators and policy makers, businesses have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to agree on a framework of ethics in which AI can innovate safely.
The growth in AI increases the likelihood of ethical lapses in an organisation, as machines cannot be relied on to make decisions aligned with the core values of the company. The growth in AI also creates a greater technology risk, as it can be harder to identify tampering and cyber-attacks, thus compromising the privacy of the organisation.
Some business leaders have indicated that responsible organisations need to redefine how they interact with technology to be able to be seen as trustworthy in the age of AI. The automation of jobs on a large scale poses a workforce risk, as it can lead to a deskilled labour force and public backlash if human labour is replaced with AI. In light of this, businesses need to be cautious, and be able to justify any decision related to the introduction of AI.
Further resources
Ethics of using AI in recruitment webinar recording
View our latest webinar recording.
04 August 2022
Real Intelligence about AI
It’s a familiar human experience that rapid advances in technology outrun our ability to manage them well. New ethical risks take time to recognise, think through and manage, to ensure that these advances contribute consistently to flourishing lives and a better society. We can find ourselves playing moral catch-up. What do right and wrong mean, in an increasingly digital world? asks Professor Chris Cowton.
08 October 2019
An ethical approach moves AI from threat to opportunity
One of the biggest challenges facing business at present is how to exploit the opportunities afforded by Artificial Intelligence. There is a big temptation to spend a lot of time worrying about the risks – of cyber-attack or about the reputational damage that can follow if the algorithms make decisions which end up damaging the business.
11 June 2019
Corporate Ethics in a Digital Age
This Board Briefing suggests questions for those in the boardroom to ask to help address the ethical challenges of AI in their businesses. It uses case studies to highlight the real-world dilemmas which boards are facing.
04 June 2019
Artificial Intelligence Framework
Explore the IBE framework of fundamental values and principles for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in business - using the acronym A.R.T.I.F.I.C.I.A.L.
11 January 2018
Business Ethics and Artificial Intelligence
Examine the ethical challenges for business in developing artificial technologies
11 January 2018