Book contents
- Governing AI
- Governing AI
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1What’s in an Abbreviation? Defining and Understanding AI
- 2The Quest for Good AI
- 3When Things Go Wrong
- 4Technical Solutions to AI Risks and Harms
- 5AI Ethics as Business Self-Regulation
- 6Governing AI with Laws and Policies
- 7Another Way to Govern AI
- Prologue
- Bibliography
- Index
5 - AI Ethics as Business Self-Regulation
Corporate Principles, Boards, Councils, and Teams
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 February 2026
Book contents
- Governing AI
- Governing AI
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1What’s in an Abbreviation? Defining and Understanding AI
- 2The Quest for Good AI
- 3When Things Go Wrong
- 4Technical Solutions to AI Risks and Harms
- 5AI Ethics as Business Self-Regulation
- 6Governing AI with Laws and Policies
- 7Another Way to Govern AI
- Prologue
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Chapter 5 addresses business self-regulation as an AI governance model. Voluntary AI principles and codes of conduct have risen to prominence in the absence of AI laws since the mid 2010s. Numerous large companies have established internal or external advisory boards or councils and responsible AI teams to hold themselves accountable. The evidence on these self-regulatory bodies is mixed: Journalistic reports suggest improvements in business conduct in a number of cases, but one cannot ignore the fact that none of the boards, councils, or teams can force businesses to respect their decisions or suggestions. What is worse, some powerful AI companies have ignored calls to create self-regulatory institutions or disbanded them at the first sight of friction.
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- Governing AIA Primer, pp. 90 - 113Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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