Investigating the Use and Implementation of Responsible AI in Organizations: A Survey Study

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Science and Advanced Analytics, specialization in Business AnalyticsThis study delves into the analysis of the use and implementation of responsible Artificial Intelligence (RAI) within organizations on a global scale, with the objective of filling the research gap in understanding the extent to which the principles are essential for the implementation of RAI worldwide. The gap lies in the lack of comprehensive investigation into the RAI principles across various organizations on a global scale. Employing a quantitative approach, a survey was used for data collection. Administered across companies in diverse sectors, the survey aimed to obtain comprehensive insights into their approaches concerning RAI. Statistical tests, including the Chi-square test for exploring relationships between categorical variables and Cramer’s V for evaluating the strength of these relationships, were conducted. The survey results show that most companies have developed ethical guidelines for AI, which underlines the increasing recognition of ethical considerations. Nevertheless, 32.1% of respondents stated that there are no clearly defined ethical standards in their organization yet. Principles like privacy, reliability, robustness and security, and interpretability are recognized as the most relevant by the respondents. When it comes to engaging stakeholders in AI development, AI/ML teams as well as product teams take on a central role. While most organizations assess the impact of AI on privacy, integrity, and data rights, there is still a prevalent concern about the transparency of AI decision-making processes. This research emphasizes the growing importance of ethics in the development of AI and underlines the urgency of actively putting ethical guidelines into practice to ensure sustainable progress in the society of AI