AI Governance Consulting is NOT Activist—for me.

I’ve been reading some online discussion of fellow AI ethics professionals about AI ethics and activism. For me, I do not view consulting for AI ethical matters as activist—at all. I’m a hired expert there to support the business. They’re not hiring a political policy advisor or academic, though I have academic training. I’m a consultant there to serve the client and help them use AI responsibly. That can look different from business to business.

When I consult with businesses, it’s not my primary job to tell them what to do, even if I have strong personal opinions on the issue at hand. I advise them in terms of AI risks, stakeholders, their company’s values, ethical choices their algorithms make, and regulatory concerns and trajectories. Am I very direct and frank at times about some of these matters? Absolutely. But I do NOT tell them what to do, and I don’t get upset if they do something I disagree with. I do give recommendations, especially regarding matters of compliance, but they’re based on what I said before, which includes company values and risk appetite. The job is not about my personal views on their technology. It’s their business, not mine. I keep my documents about my advice and recommendations, especially if they are using risky systems and they do not intend to use my risk mitigation recommendations. The job is to educate my client on the risks their systems pose and how to mitigate those risks, including legal ones. It’s not about coercing or scaring people to do what I want them to do.