When done right, responsible AI doesn’t just reduce risk. It also improves the performance of artificial intelligence systems, fostering trust and adoption while generating value. We help companies develop and operationalize a custom-fit framework for responsible AI.
Jeanne Kwong Bickford, Katharina Hefter, Steven Mills, and Tad Roselund
Emerging regulations and generative AI are casting a spotlight on AI technology, but they don’t need to cast a shadow. Our perspective is that responsible AI is more than just risk mitigation, as it also an important value creator. The same mechanisms that reduce AI errors can accelerate innovation, promote differentiation, and elevate customer trust.
Responsible AI is the process of developing and operating artificial intelligence systems that align with organizational purpose and ethical values, achieving transformative business impact. By implementing RAI strategically, companies can resolve complex ethical questions around AI deployments and investments, accelerate innovation, and realize increased value from AI itself. Responsible AI gives leaders the ability to properly manage this powerful emerging technology.
So far, relatively few companies have unleashed this strategic approach to responsible AI. What’s the holdup? For some organizations, the leap from responsible AI ambition to execution has proved daunting. Others are waiting to see what form regulations take. But responsible AI principles can bring benefits now as they prepare companies for new rules and the latest emerging AI technology.
Our battle-tested BCG RAI framework minimizes the time to RAI maturity while maximizing the value responsible AI can create. Built on five pillars, it is tailored to each organization’s unique starting point, culture.
BCG’s responsible AI consultants have partnered with organizations around the globe in many industry sectors, creating personalized solutions that provide AI transparency and value. Here are some examples of our work.
Implementing RAI for a leading annuity and life insurance firm's GenAI initiative. The client was developing its first GenAI application for seamless natural-language querying of its enterprise database. We established a comprehensive RAI governance framework, conducted detailed AI-specific risk mapping, and developed a thorough risk-and-controls registry. This proactive approach allowed the client to manage key risks early in the development process, ensuring trust in the application's capabilities and enhancing both user experience and adoption.
Shaping AI governance for a major US financial services firm. Amid the company’s rapid adoption of GenAI technologies, we helped it develop a comprehensive AI governance framework. Our tailored approach included an AI risk assessment and tiering methodology, a clear governance structure aligned with strategic goals, and specific roles and guidelines for users and developers. We also developed a bias-testing framework to ensure ethical decision-making. This foundational work enabled the client to identify and manage AI risks effectively, ensuring trust and compliance in their GenAI deployments.
As one of the leading consulting firms on AI governance, we are proud to be recognized for the excellence of our work advancing responsible AI, setting the stage for broader and more transparent use of AI technology.
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BCG X disrupts the present and creates the future by building bold new tech products, services, and businesses.
Our responsible AI consultants can draw on BCG’s global network of industry and technology experts. But they can also call on powerful tools for implementing RAI.
Supported by the data collected in our survey with MIT SMR, this proprietary tool benchmarks companies across the five pillars of BCG RAI, providing insight into strengths, gaps, and areas for focus.
AI transparency is crucial to building trust and adoption. But it’s often elusive, as AI can be a ‘black box’ that produces results without explaining its decision-making processes. FACET opens the box by helping human operators understand advanced machine learning models.
ARTKIT is BCG X’s open-source toolkit for red teaming new GenAI systems. It enables data scientists, engineers, and business decision makers to quickly close the gap between developing innovative GenAI proofs of concept and launching those concepts into the market as fully reliable, enterprise-scale solutions. ARTKIT combines human-based and automated testing, giving tech practitioners the tools they need to test new GenAI systems for:
ARTKIT enables teams to use their critical thinking and creativity to quickly mitigate potential risk. The goal is to help business decision makers and leaders harness the full power of GenAI and our BCG RAI framework, knowing that the results will be safe and equitable—and will deliver measurable, meaningful business impact.
GenAI is already demonstrating the power to transform business. To minimize rise and maximize value creation, Steven Mills, Chief AI Ethics Officer and Managing Director and Partner at BCG, illustrates why data scientists and engineers must build system guardrails as early as possible.
BCG X’s new ARTKIT toolkit solves key engineering challenges by streamlining manual and automated testing, evaluation, and reporting. Randi Griffin, Lead Data Scientist at BCG X, describes ARTKIT’s ability to bridge critical gaps so teams can focus on developing tailored GenAI solutions.
Ben Page of Ipsos says it follows three guiding principles: truth, transparency, and justice.
The opportunities presented by generative AI are significant, but leaders need to focus equally on the risks. What is a responsible C-suite member supposed to do?
The experiences of a hypothetical company illustrate how ensuring responsible AI practices can address challenges and create new opportunities.
Even with comprehensive testing and evaluation, the risk of system failure with GenAI will never be zero. Organizations must respond swiftly when failures inevitably occur.
BCG’s third annual survey shows that companies are improving their responsible AI—but not fast enough.
With the EU AI Act officially on the books, are organizations sufficiently expanding their risk management capabilities?
BCG’s responsible AI consultants are thought leaders who are also team leaders, working on the ground with clients to accelerate the responsible AI journey. Here are some of our experts on the topic.
