Ethical Readiness Check
Ethical Readiness Check
Company Values
| 1 - Unethical | 2 - Indifferent | 3 - Good intentions | 4 - Good intentions | 5 - Philanthropic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Are new projects assessed for ethical risks in advance?
Do we look at the impact on people and society at the start of every project?
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Ethical checks are skipped and risks are not taken seriously. If a rule or ethical question slows down a project, we find a way around it. Speed comes first.
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No, this is not a standard part of the process. At the start we mainly look at the budget, technology and planning. Ethical risks are not routinely discussed.
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It depends by chance on the project manager or team whether it gets attention. There is no mandatory checklist or procedure for it.
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Every new project is required to be tested against applicable laws, guidelines and rules.
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We do more than is required. We actively think in advance about the impact on society and adapt the design accordingly.
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Does the company contribute to a better world?
Is the company primarily focused on profit, or do we also pursue social or sustainable goals?
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No, the effects on people and the environment are not considered. Profit comes first, even if it causes harm.
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We are not engaged with social and sustainable goals. The focus is on making money. Sustainability or social value is not a topic of conversation.
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We occasionally do something good (such as a charity run or solar panels), but this is separate from our real business strategy. There is no clear plan.
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Yes, we have an official CSR policy. We take sustainability and society into account because it is in our annual plan or because clients require it.
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Our company exists specifically to solve a social problem. Profit is necessary, but the social purpose comes first.
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Purpose and Application of Generative AI Use
| 1 - Unethical | 2 - Indifferent | 3 - Good intentions | 4 - Good intentions | 5 - Philanthropic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Is the use of Generative AI (or this Generative AI application) ethically justified?
Does applying Generative AI contribute to something good, or can it cause harm?
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We know this application has negative aspects (such as manipulation, discrimination, harm to the environment or privacy), but profit or efficiency comes first.
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It doesn't matter whether the use of Generative AI is 'good' or 'bad' for the world, as long as it generates money. We do not think about the moral consequences.
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The application of Generative AI has no 'bad' purpose, but we are also not focused on 'improving the world'. We simply use it because it is convenient for the business.
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The application of Generative AI has no 'bad' purpose, but we are also not focused on 'improving the world'. We simply use it because it is convenient for the business.
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We have actively involved all stakeholders in the design process. We only implement the AI once there is a solution everyone can agree on.
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Are all those affected listened to?
How do we handle the different interests of all stakeholders (customers, employees, community, etc.)?
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We know this solution has disadvantages for some stakeholders, but we proceed anyway. We accept the harm to others as a given.
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We are not aware of the impact on stakeholders. We don't know whether this solution has disadvantages for certain groups, because this has not been investigated.
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We basically assume there are no problems. We haven't really investigated it, but think everyone will be satisfied.
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We have seriously examined the interests of all stakeholders. We have tried to find a fair balance.
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Active efforts are made to involve various stakeholders in order to reach agreement on values.
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Are there (covert) ulterior motives?
Are we honest about why we use Generative AI for this application?
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There are ulterior motives. These ulterior motives are kept hidden.
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We have not thought about ulterior motives.
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It is not entirely clear. The main goal is good, but the data is also used for other things (e.g. training AI).
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No, there are no ulterior motives. The purpose is crystal clear and we are fully transparent about what we do and why.
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We actively monitor whether the purpose does not change. We have built in hard guarantees so that the AI can never be used for anything other than what was agreed.
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s the application of Generative AI the right solution for this problem?
Does the means fit the goal?
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Despite clear shortcomings, we use the Generative AI application, even though it is clear that the goal is not being achieved with it.
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We assume this is the right solution, but have not investigated whether that is actually the case.
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We are not yet certain whether it works well, but we are testing this and adjusting where necessary.
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The application of Generative AI works well and does what is expected of it.
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The application of Generative AI works as it should and we continuously measure and improve.
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Is misuse of the Generative AI solution possible?
Can people use it for purpose it was not intended for?
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We know the application can be misused, but we do nothing to prevent it.
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We have not thought about it. We don't actually know whether the system can be 'hacked' or misused. We just hope everyone uses it properly.
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We try to prevent misuse, but in practice it sometimes still happens. We rely on the user.
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There are clear agreements and controls to ensure the application is only used for the right purpose.
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The system is built so that misuse is (technically) impossible. We have built in filters and blocks. You cannot use it incorrectly, even if you try.
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Side effects of Using Generative AI
| 1 - Unethical | 2 - Indifferent | 3 - Good intentions | 4 - Good intentions | 5 - Philanthropic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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How does the application of Generative AI impact people?
Are there consequences for workload, jobs or autonomy? Generative AI could lead to greater job insecurity, higher workload and techno-stress. People may follow AI advice too quickly, putting autonomy, critical thinking and privacy under pressure. Are these side effects being taken into account?
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We know this has disadvantages for employees (such as higher workload), but the implementation proceeds anyway.
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We don't know what the consequences are for work or jobs; this has not been investigated.
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We do our best to limit disadvantages for employees, but in practice there are still concerns or problems.
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We have carefully examined the consequences in advance and taken measures to prevent problems.
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There is a strong ambition to manage these side effects and we actively use this application to make work more enjoyable, easier or better for everyone.
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What is the impact on society?
Generative AI could lead to more disinformation and deepfakes. In addition, the technology could increase concentration of power and inequality between groups and countries, while accountability for errors may remain unclear. Are these side effects being taken into account?
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We know there are disadvantages for society (e.g. unfair outcomes), but we use it anyway.
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We have not investigated whether this application has consequences for society or the environment. We don't look at that.
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We try to prevent harm to society, but have not yet fully got a handle on it.
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We have taken measures to ensure that we do not cause harm to the environment.
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There is a strong ambition to manage these side effects on society and to increase positive effects and values.
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What is the impact on the environment?
Does this unnecessarily consume a lot of power and equipment? Generative AI could cause a sharply rising energy consumption and therefore higher CO₂ emissions. In addition, the demand for hardware could lead to more raw material use and electronic waste.
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We know this system consumes a lot of energy and water, but we accept that as a given.
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We have no idea how much electricity or water this application consumes; that is unknown.
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We try to limit energy consumption, but have not yet got much of a handle on it.
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We have taken measures to keep the environmental damage (such as electricity consumption) as small as possible.
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There is a strong ambition to manage these side effects on the environment and to increase positive effects and values.
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Professional Responsibility
| 1 - Unethical | 2 - Indifferent | 3 - Good intentions | 4 - Good intentions | 5 - Philanthropic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Is there room for professional criticism?
Is there room for criticism or a dissenting opinion?
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Criticism is seen as troublesome or negative; you'd better keep quiet.
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There is no clear place or moment to raise concerns; we don't know what to do with them.
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Critical opinions are valued and never seen as problematic. Criticism does not always lead to change.
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Criticism is taken seriously and we use it to directly improve the application.
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Dissent is actively encouraged. Managers ask: "What are we overlooking?" Mistakes or criticism are seen as an opportunity to improve, not as failure.
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Is there ethical professionalisation taking place?
Do we learn from our mistakes? How do we deal with things that go wrong or could be better?
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Mistakes and ethical dilemmas in our organisation are hushed up, denied or swept under the rug.
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In day-to-day work there is no time or attention to reflect on ethical questions or to learn from mistakes made.
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We sometimes discuss mistakes or ethical issues when they arise, but this happens by chance and not at a fixed moment.
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We have scheduled fixed moments to evaluate projects and directly adjust our working methods to prevent mistakes from recurring.
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We are continuously talking with each other about how we can act more ethically and actively use mistakes to bring our organisation to a higher level.
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Resultaten
Company Values
- / 5
Purpose and Application of Generative AI Use
- / 5
Side effects of Using Generative AI
- / 5
Professional Responsibility
- / 5
Totaalscore
- / 5
1 - Unethical
2 - Indifferent
3 - Good intentions
4 - Good intentions
5 - Philanthropic