Responsible AI Starts with People: Addressing Public Fears and Building a Culture of Trust

By Karl George MBE, The Governor, Founder of Governance AI

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in our daily lives, workplaces, and decision-making systems, concerns about their responsible use are growing. People are asking fundamental questions: Will AI take my job? Can I trust the decisions it makes? Is my employer using AI fairly and transparently?

These are not just abstract worries; they are genuine concerns about the future of work, accountability, and human dignity. In this blog, we directly address these fears and present a practical, human-centred approach to responsibly implementing AI within organisations.

A Human-First Philosophy in an AI-First World

Many organisations today are adopting an “AI-first” mindset, which involves looking at tasks and asking, “Can AI do this better, faster, or cheaper?” While this can drive innovation, it must not come at the expense of people. A human-first philosophy recognises that technology should serve humans, not replace them.

We propose a balanced approach:

• AI-first for productivity: Identify where AI can automate routine, repetitive, or dangerous tasks.
• Human-first for value: Recognise the unique skills humans bring, judgment, empathy, creativity, and ethics.
• Together for sustainability: Build a long-term model where AI enhances human capability, not displaces it entirely.

Responsible AI isn’t just about deploying technology correctly. It’s about making ethical choices that preserve fairness, transparency, and trust in the process.

Workforce Implications: Respect, Retrain, Reinvent

AI adoption should never be a blunt instrument for cost-cutting. It must come with a commitment to workforce well-being:

• Respect: Workers should be informed, consulted, and included in decisions regarding the implementation of AI.
• Retrain: Upskilling should be a default response when AI changes job roles.
• Reinvent: Empower employees to work alongside AI, taking on higher-value tasks with the support of intelligent tools.

Companies that prioritise people will find that AI can unlock not just productivity, but loyalty, innovation, and long-term resilience.

Transparency in AI Use: Our Right to Know

One of the biggest concerns about AI is that it’s often invisible. You may not know if a job application was filtered by an algorithm, if your machine denied a loan, or if a bot resolved your customer service query.

That’s why we are promoting a Declaration of AI Use. Similar to food labelling or content disclaimers, this framework allows people to understand how much AI was involved in creating or delivering a service.

We propose a clear scale:

1. Human-only: No AI used.
2. AI-assisted (minimal): Human-written, with light AI support (e.g., grammar checks).
3. AI-assisted (major): Drafted by humans, refined with substantial AI input.
4. AI-generated, human-edited: AI drafts, humans refine.

5. AI-initiated: Fully AI-generated with human sign-off.

This approach fosters trust and ensures that people are aware when they are interacting with AI and when human judgment has been involved.

Creating a Responsible AI Culture

Culture is everything. Without the correct values and mindset, even the best AI systems can be misused. Responsible AI requires more than technical controls; it demands a culture grounded in:

• Ethical leadership
• Inclusive decision-making
• Continuous learning and adaptation
• Cross-functional collaboration

When organisations embed these values into their AI strategy, they don’t just use AI responsibly, they lead responsibly.

Responsible AI Is About Trust

AI can transform the way we work, make decisions, and serve our communities. But that transformation must be built on trust. By putting people first, being transparent about how AI is used, and establishing clear ethical guardrails, we can ensure that AI is not only powerful but also principled.

Responsible AI starts with responsibility to people. Let that be the guiding light for every organisation in this new era.

To reinforce this approach, a recent report by Deloitte highlights that “organisations embracing responsible AI practices are better positioned to build trust with employees, customers, and regulators alike” (Deloitte Insights, 2024). This underscores the importance of ethical integration—not just innovation—in AI strategies.

Additionally, as part of our broader campaign on AI transparency, we are encouraging individuals and organisations to declare their use of AI through a simple visual badge system. Our “I Use AI” badge comes with variations aligned to the AI involvement scale from “Human-only” to “AI-initiated.” This banner and logo can be added to email signatures, websites, and social media profiles to support a culture of openness and responsible disclosure.