KPMG: Which way now? Keeping ethical approaches at the heart of AI

How do we get the future development and regulation of AI right? 

2023 has been a year of booming interest and excitement around generative AI and large language models. The potential of the technology is huge. It’s not an overstatement to talk in terms of a Fifth Industrial Revolution – with implications for industry, governments and humanity at large.

While genAI could unlock massive productivity enhancements and drive powerful new capabilities, it also holds risks that need to be very carefully managed including deepfakes, misinformation & bias, hallucinations, IP theft and plagiarism to name but a few. In KPMG’s 2023 CEO Outlook Survey, global CEOs cited ethical challenges as their number one concern in relation to the implementation of generative AI. Regulatory efforts have been stepping up, including publication of the UK’s AI White Paper which espouses a ‘pro-innovation’ approach. So, how do we get the future development and regulation of AI right, for the economy, people, society and the planet?

With genAI now around a year old (in the public consciousness at least) and as a new year fast approaches, it was more timely and relevant than ever to come together at the Digital Ethics Summit 2023 to discuss where AI may head next – and how we can ensure that it works in the best interests of all. In a thought-provoking and wide-ranging day of discussion, a number of key points stood out for me, including:

• Trust:  How do we get the public engagement right? Education is key, together with promoting awareness of the privacy protection provided by the ICO and a clear focus on safety including against cyber threats.
• Regulation: There is a real need for coordinated international standards to provide a horizontal layer that plugs known gaps in existing regulation and legislation. This may involve some consolidation and simplification in what is already shaping up to be a crowded space.
• Humanisation: On the employee front, we need to make sure that AI isn’t seen as a remote piece of black box technology competing with or replacing humans – but re-frame it as ‘your new AI colleague’ that can support people and help them achieve more of what they need to get done. Accountability is also key – the AI strategy needs to be owned and driven from the very top, up to and including the CEO.

You can read the full article from Leanne Allen on KPMG's website here.

Sue Daley OBE

Director, Technology and Innovation

Sue leads techUK's Technology and Innovation work. 

This includes work programmes on cloud, data protection, data analytics, AI, digital ethics, Digital Identity and Internet of Things as well as emerging and transformative technologies and innovation policy. 

In 2025, Sue was honoured with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the Technology Industry in the New Year Honours List. 

She has been recognised as one of the most influential people in UK tech by Computer Weekly's UKtech50 Longlist and in 2021 was inducted into the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech Hall of Fame. 

A key influencer in driving forward the data agenda in the UK, Sue was co-chair of the UK government's National Data Strategy Forum until July 2024. As well as being recognised in the UK's Big Data 100 and the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries for 2020 Sue has also been shortlisted for the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards and was a judge for the Loebner Prize in AI. In addition to being a regular industry speaker on issues including AI ethics, data protection and cyber security, Sue was recently a judge for the UK Tech 50 and is a regular judge of the annual UK Cloud Awards.

Prior to joining techUK in January 2015 Sue was responsible for Symantec's Government Relations in the UK and Ireland. She has spoken at events including the UK-China Internet Forum in Beijing, UN IGF and European RSA on issues ranging from data usage and privacy, cloud computing and online child safety. Before joining Symantec, Sue was senior policy advisor at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sue has an BA degree on History and American Studies from Leeds University and a Masters Degree on International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Birmingham. Sue is a keen sportswoman and in 2016 achieved a lifelong ambition to swim the English Channel. 

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

020 7331 2055

Twitter:

@ChannelSwimSue,@ChannelSwimSue

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