Paper maps the emerging responsible AI profession

A new paper released by techUK explores the nascent Responsible AI (RAI) profession and its integral role in ensuring the ethical, safe, and fair development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) systems across the UK economy.

As AI adoption increases, RAI practitioners act as "multidisciplinary translators and lifetime learners," bridging frameworks, securing organisational support, facilitating data access, and articulating the business case for ethics. Their role is essential for organisations aiming for responsible AI implementation, fostering adoption, and building public confidence in AI to meet the UK's goals.

The increasing complexity of AI necessitates sophisticated governance, with organisations recognising the need for both dedicated RAI expertise and distributed responsibilities. RAI practitioners often serve as orchestrators of AI ethics and governance rather than sole owners.

The paper maps the current state of the UK's RAI profession and proposes a roadmap for developing the necessary professional framework to ensure AI development aligns with societal values and ethical standards. 

The paper identifies three key gaps hindering the effectiveness of RAI practitioners: 

• A lack of clearly defined roles and organisational positions, 
• An absence of structured career pathways, 
• The absence of standardised skills and training frameworks. 

The paper highlights that without resolution, these gaps pose tangible business risks, including inconsistent ethical implementation, potential regulatory non-compliance, reputational damage, and barriers to stakeholder trust, potentially hindering the UK's leadership in responsible AI innovation and adoption.