Reid Blackman, an AI ethics consultant, discusses the ethical challenges of AI adoption and why organizations need bespoke solutions to manage AI risk effectively.
Blackman emphasizes the importance of proactive behavior driven by reputation in large brands navigating AI ethics and the evolving nature of ethics with advancing technology.
He highlights the organizational nature of AI risk, emphasizing that it is not solely a technical issue but a company-wide concern encompassing departments like HR and marketing.
Blackman shares his journey from a philosopher to an AI ethicist and delves into how AI introduces ethical challenges into organizations through various departments like HR, marketing, and internal development.
He challenges the reliance on generic frameworks in tackling AI ethics and advocates for tailored, agile solutions informed by organizational structures, goals, and readiness.
The discussion explores how reputation influences the readiness for ethical AI practices, with large brands in low-risk sectors being quicker to adopt than those in high-risk industries like healthcare.
Blackman's consultancy primarily works with non-tech native Fortune 500 companies, emphasizing the need for prophylactic ethical AI measures rather than triaged responses to AI-related issues.
He points out that tech-native companies often underestimate the need for ethical oversight in AI initiatives, assuming they have it handled due to their industry expertise.
Blackman stresses the importance of trying different approaches and taking risks, highlighting the entrepreneurial mindset of trying new strategies, even if they may not all succeed.
The conversation underscores the agility required in managing AI ethics and the necessity of aligning internal stakeholders within organizations to effectively address AI-related risks.