Ethics and corporate responsibility (CSR, ESG): where were they before AI?

The last day of the FIMA event in November is dedicated to insights, reporting, and transparency, with sessions ranging from the potential of AI and to the trustworthiness of ESG data. I expect the subject of ethical and responsible use of data to come up during the day. The moral compass of the organisation and its compliance with the law have always co-existed with the purpose of organisations. We may know this compass as company’s values, leadership tone, employees’ conduct, and brand perception. So why is ethics such a prominent concern now? Wasn’t it there before?

Availability of data, cloud computing, and accessibility of AI have brought to light that the pursuit of profit is too tempting. Data leaders now need to "show" through data how ethical, compliant, and sustainable the organisation really is. To do that, data leaders may need a more candid partnership with the board, i.e. an open conversation about the limitations of data - data is not undisputed fact and may not even be a good representation of reality.