The Roadmap contributes the Roundtable’s unique multisectoral perspective to the ongoing dialogue around RAI and provides a flexible guide for companies at any stage in the AI journey to integrate RAI principles into their day-to-day operations. Consistent with the values articulated in the Business Roundtable Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation, the Roadmap aims to ensure that Roundtable member companies use AI to benefit all of their stakeholders, including customers, employees, and shareholders.
Many services that drive quality of life improvements for consumers and improved performance across different businesses are already powered or substantially improved by AI—from convenience applications like smart home devices and customer rewards programs, to safety systems like online fraud detection and vehicle collision avoidance, to innovations in clean energy technologies that help address the complex global climate challenge. The best AI applications create these benefits by augmenting—not replacing—human capabilities and decision-making, and by mitigating human errors and biases to create better and more equitable outcomes.
We are experiencing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the immense potential of AI. Continued innovation, refinement, and proliferation of AI technologies in the coming years will enable these applications to chip away at our most intractable problems and deliver game-changing solutions beyond our current imagination. These technologies, like others before them, carry risks that require thoughtful management. However, responsible use of AI promises to accelerate economic progress and to speed the world toward a healthier, safer and more sustainable future.
Unlocking the enormous potential of AI depends upon fostering public trust, understanding, and widespread support for AI adoption. To that end, it is crucial that companies develop, deploy, and use AI systems responsibly and with a careful eye towards promoting security, safety, and human autonomy across applications and use cases.
The Business Roundtable belief in the need for robust and responsible business and government leadership on AI is what led the organization to release Responsible AI Policy Recommendations and a Roadmap of corporate principles in January 2022. The policy recommendations outline a framework for policymakers to consider when establishing rules, practices, and guidelines to govern AI systems. The Roadmap articulates 10 core principles intended to guide businesses’ responsible development, deployment, and use of AI technology. These principles are informed by three fundamental goals for Responsible AI (RAI) systems—namely, that such systems be 1) Trusted and Inclusive, 2) Effective, Safe, and Secure, and 3) Governed Accountably.
The Roadmap principles are more than abstract concepts. Business Roundtable member companies are already operationalizing fundamental tenets of accountability, inclusivity, and transparency across industries and AI use cases. These projects, products, and services exemplify the promise of AI and model how companies are practically working to improve trust and understanding around AI technologies and applications.