MIT Sloan Management Review Research Report on To Be a Responsible AI Leader, Focus on Being Responsible

As AI’s adoption grows more widespread and companies see increasing returns on their AI investments, the technology’s risks also become more apparent. Our recent global survey of more than 1,000 managers suggests that AI systems across industries are susceptible to failures, with nearly a quarter of respondents reporting that their organization has experienced an AI failure, ranging from mere lapses in technical performance to outcomes that put individuals and communities at risk. It is these latter harms that responsible AI (RAI) initiatives seek to address.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are developing the first generation of meaningful AI-specific legislation. For example, the European Union’s proposed AI Act would create a comprehensive scheme to govern the technology. And in the U.S., lawmakers in New York, California, and other states are working on AI-specific regulations to govern its use in employment and other high-risk contexts. In response to the heightened stakes around AI adoption and impending regulations, organizations worldwide are affirming the need for RAI, but many are falling short when it comes to operationalizing RAI in practice.

About the Author

Elizabeth M. Renieris is a senior research associate at Oxford’s Institute for Ethics in AI and the founder and CEO of Hackylawyer, a law and policy consultancy. A former fellow at Stanford’s Digital Civil Society Lab, Harvard’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, and the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, Renieris is the author of Beyond Data: Reclaiming Human Rights at the Dawn of the Metaverse (MIT Press, 2023).

David Kiron is the editorial director for research at MIT Sloan Management Review and program lead for its Big Ideas research initiatives. Previously, he was a senior researcher at Harvard Business School and a researcher at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University. He is coauthor of the forthcoming book Workforce Ecosystems: Reaching Strategic Goals With People, Partners, and Technology (MIT Press, 2023).

Steven Mills is a managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he serves as the chief AI ethics officer. He is responsible for developing BCG’s internal responsible AI program as well as guiding clients as they design and implement their own RAI programs. Mills has been recognized by DataIQ as one of the 100 most influential people in data (2022) and by Forbes as one of 15 AI ethics leaders shaping the future (2021).

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