How Can We Support Societal Adhesion in the Face of AI?

Ute Bockstegers
Executive Advisor, Ex CFO UK/I, ex CEO SEE, Bayer

With the rapid advent of AI enhanced or transformed business solutions, how should we as corporate leaders position our activities to support societal adhesion?

VocL Voices’ Responses

Rebecca Harlow
Net Zero Proposition Lead, Arcadis

With all workforce/industry transformations it is only a matter of time when new advancements gets adopted. In my view their is clear inherent value but also risk to AIs adoption- with the only way to navigate this being to raise the voice and role of genuine experts and giving these individuals the space to navigate the complexities this will involve.

Will Lankston
Managing Director, Timpson Direct

New technologies provide opportunities in business but they will often present us with challenges. Whilst these new technologies may have a significant impact on the operations of a business, there is no need for them to have a negative impact on the values or culture of a business. For me, it’s simple- we need to make sure we look after our people first and foremost. If we do this, we should be able to overcome any challenges that new technologies bring or any negative impacts they might have.

Sion Lewis
Associate, Arup

AI within engineering has the potential to refine designs iteratively to arrive at the optimal solution. Challenging hundreds, thousands, possibly millions of scenarios to ensure the final product brief is met in the most efficient way. This simply would not be possible manually. When applied to renewable/green technology and other sectors including medical research the impacts on society could be hugely beneficial.

Danielle Crompton
Partner, Ethics & Sustainability Manager, John Lewis Partnership

AI has been emerging rapidly and businesses are continuously evolving their responses to do what they think is most responsible at a given moment in time. It’s a continually changing picture, and with the absence of industry, national or global frameworks to set out a standard for the responsible use of AI, there are many different views. Some organisations have blocked the use of AI completely, taking a risk adverse approach, with uncertainty about data privacy, business confidentiality, legal ownership. Other organisations are embracing AI to foster innovation, spark discussion and think differently. Ultimately, I believe that embracing some forms of AI will become part of long-term business success – doing so responsibility is where we need businesses, NGOs and governments to come together and start agreeing some guardrails to prevent unintended ethical consequences.