Barbary Cook

Ethical AI Exploration

Pink Rose of Sharon blooms
Rose of Sharon

Non-profits are being pressured to adopt generative AI without having the time and space to fully explore what bespoke adoption, or not-adoption, could look like for them. People want to see generative AI adoption as a technical process to do with tools and training. But really it’s an adaptive process that means talking about values, deciding what ethical adoption could mean, and how it could change their services and culture. Lastly, most guides to generative AI adoption assume that the group will adopt it. I don’t assume that.

Over the last two years, as a disabled user, I have been finding ways to balance political and environmental concerns about generative AI with the revelation of how helpful many of these tools have been for me and my work. These aren’t easy questions to reconcile.

I’ve designed a 5-step process to support organizations to explore generative AI adoption in a values-based, embodied way. I will guide you through a more nuanced topography of generative AI tools to see if you can chart a course that isn’t a blanket no or a careless yes.

Diagram. 5 dark green circles joined by single pink lines to create a pentagon shape. There is plain black text in each circle. In the first circle it says learning. In the second it says values exploration. In the third it says AI topography. In the fourth it says AI policy and in the fifth one it says AI adoption.
AI Exploration 5-Step Process

5 step process:

  • Learning: We will learn how you are currently working with generative AI. Is there organization-wide use, or only by a few individuals? How are people feeling about using generative AI? Have you identified organizational areas to explore in terms of generative AI? For example, automating workflows, or protecting community data.
  • Values exploration: We will start with your values, not the technology. What values underpin your work? What ethical choices do you already make that have to be maintained, or even strengthened if you engage with generative AI? What does human judgment mean to you? How do you want to center your embodied values in an exploration of technology? How will the organization change if you use generative AI? What will you gain, and what will you lose?
  • AI topography: We will explore an expanded landscape of what generative AI tools are available to you. Many people are working with a narrow set of options. How can we expand that geography so you can see what’s available, and make more creative choices that do map to your values?
  • AI policy: We will develop an ethical policy that describes how you will use generative AI going forward. It will set clear boundaries for which uses are in, and which are out. It will generate decision-making criteria for you to make future decisions about use, not least because the technology is moving so fast.
  • AI adoption: If you have decided that you will use generative AI, we will explore the areas of your work where you want to do so, and figure out the best ways to do that. It could include redesigning workflows to automate them, or using new apps and platforms to do research or redesign services.