What is Responsible AI?
A foundational guide to ensuring artificial intelligence remains aligned with human values.
Responsible AI is about making sure artificial intelligence works safely and fairly for people. It focuses on how AI is designed, used, and governed so that powerful systems remain aligned with human values, protect the public, and strengthen trust.
AI already shapes everyday life—what information you see online, how customer service responds, whether applications are approved, and how decisions are supported in healthcare, finance, education, and public services. Because these systems can influence real opportunities, safety, and access, people deserve to know when AI is involved and how it affects them.
The Principle of Awareness
Responsible AI starts with awareness. When automated systems influence outcomes, their presence should not be hidden. Knowing when AI is at work helps people engage with it thoughtfully rather than blindly. It also creates space to ask questions and make informed choices.
Addressing Bias and Ensuring Fairness
Because AI systems learn from real-world data, they can reflect existing social gaps and inequalities. Without care, automated decisions may favor some groups over others or overlook important differences. A responsible approach means paying attention to who benefits, who may be excluded, and whether outcomes are equitable.
When results seem unfair, they should be examined, challenged, and improved—not accepted as inevitable.
The Need for Clarity and Explanation
Responsible AI also requires clarity. When AI affects people’s rights, opportunities, or well-being, its decisions should not feel like a mystery. Individuals deserve understandable explanations about why something happened, what information was considered, and who is accountable. Trust grows when systems can be questioned and decisions can be reviewed.
The Role of Human Control and Agency
Equally important is human control. AI should support human judgment, not replace it. People must be able to challenge automated outcomes, request human review, and make the final call when it matters. Whether it’s a doctor reviewing an AI-assisted diagnosis or a user shaping their own content feed, humans should remain active participants—not passive subjects.
Foundations of Safety and Accountability
Safety and security are essential to responsibility. AI systems should work reliably, protect personal data, resist misuse, and avoid causing harm. Insecure or poorly designed systems can expose sensitive information, spread misinformation, or be exploited in ways that affect individuals and communities. People have a right to expect that AI systems are tested, protected, and corrected when risks emerge.
Ultimately, responsibility does not rest with machines. Organizations and institutions remain accountable for how AI is built and used. When harm occurs, there must be clear ownership, oversight, and ways for people to seek correction or redress.
Our Collective Responsibility
Responsible AI matters to everyone. It affects whether a loan decision is fair, whether a medical tool is trustworthy, whether personal data is protected, and whether technology earns public confidence. Around the world, governments, researchers, and civil society agree on one point: trust in AI depends on responsibility.
Citizens play an important role in shaping that future. By staying informed, asking questions, expecting fairness and safety, and asserting the right to human oversight, people help guide AI toward outcomes that benefit society as a whole.
At GlobalNARI, responsible AI means keeping people at the center—ensuring that as technology becomes more powerful, it also becomes more transparent, more secure, and more accountable to the public it serves.
What Does "Responsible AI" Mean to You?
The definition is still being written, and public input is critical. Share your perspective on what it takes to build trustworthy AI.