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Doing versus Saying: Responsible AI among Large Firms

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  • Jacques Bughin

Abstract

Responsible Artificial Intelligence (RAI) is a subset of the ethics associated with the use of artificial intelligence, which will only increase with the recent advent of new regulatory frameworks. However, if many firms have announced the establishment of AI governance rules, there is currently an important gap in understanding whether and why these announcements are being implemented or remain “decoupled” from operations. We assess how large global firms have so far implemented RAI, and the antecedents to RAI implementation across a wide range of RAI initiatives. We find that the operationalization of RAI practices is scattered across firms, with only a fringe of companies extensively industrializing RAI. Social pressure pushes RAI design (”saying”) rather than implementation but the reverse is true for competitive pressure. AI capabilities as a bundle of data quality AI architecture, and talents are strongly associated with RAI design to scaling.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacques Bughin, 2024. "Doing versus Saying: Responsible AI among Large Firms," Working Papers TIMES² 2024-077, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:ict:wpaper:2013/378351
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    1. Kristina McElheran & J. Frank Li & Erik Brynjolfsson & Zachary Kroff & Emin Dinlersoz & Lucia Foster & Nikolas Zolas, 2024. "AI adoption in America: Who, what, and where," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 375-415, March.
    2. Abou-Foul, Mohamad & Ruiz-Alba, Jose L. & López-Tenorio, Pablo J., 2023. "The impact of artificial intelligence capabilities on servitization: The moderating role of absorptive capacity-A dynamic capabilities perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    3. Nucci, Francesco & Puccioni, Chiara & Ricchi, Ottavio, 2023. "Digital technologies and productivity: A firm-level investigation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Jacques Bughin, 2024. "The Role of Firm AI Capabilities in Generative AI-pair Coding," Working Papers TIMES² 2024-076, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Jacques Bughin & Nicolas van Zeebroeck, 2025. "Roaring out of digital transformation," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/386722, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    3. Bughin, Jacques, 2024. "What drives the corporate payoffs of using generative artificial intelligence?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 658-668.

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