Digital ethics and AI assurance

Since July 2024, techUK has created space for conversations between responsible AI practitioners via the Digital Ethics Unconference.

This paper provides immersive creators and technologists with practical insights, industry best practices and real-world scenarios regarding the application of ethical principles to technology development and deployment.

On Wednesday 10 September 2025, techUK and the Ada Lovelace institute convened a group of over 50 experts, each representing organisations in the AI assurance and ethics ecosystem including responsible AI leads, assurance firms, civil society and professional bodies, to discuss and continue the work of mapping the responsible AI profession.  

As AI becomes more prevalent, organisations face two interconnected challenges: ensuring their AI systems operate safely and reliably (AI assurance) and managing the financial risks when they don't (AI insurance). 

This is an informative insight about artificial intelligence system impact assessments (AI-SIAs) which are documented processes for identifying individuals and groups impacted by an AI system. Common-use impact assessments are already found in the context of business, the environment, finance, human rights, IT, privacy, personally identifiable information and security. As part of a growing list of governance and policy assets available to those deploying and providing AI systems, AI-SIAs can provide analytical frameworks and approaches to SIAs supported through technical rigor.

JP Morgan Chase's Chief Information Security Officer, Patrick Opet, has issued an open letter to third-party suppliers outlining new requirements for SaaS delivery models. This landmark communication represents one of the first major financial institutions to call to action comprehensive AI assurance documentation from vendors and suppliers. 

As AI continues to transform industries across the globe, the need for professionals who can operationalise its ethical implementation has never been more critical. Whether you're looking to join the field or are already working as a responsible AI practitioner, these resources from techUK will help you navigate this evolving profession. 

techUK is proud to release its new paper examining the emerging class of Responsible AI (RAI) practitioners and their critical role in ensuring AI systems are developed and deployed ethically, safely, and fairly across the UK economy.

On 3 March, techUK held a workshop with DSIT and DBT to allow members to test the Government’s early thinking on how businesses can be transparent about their use of AI in the workplace, as part of a wider approach to responsible adoption.

On February 10 and 11, 2025, France hosted the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit at the Grand Palais

Chatham House has released a collection of essays that examines innovative approaches to AI regulation and governance. It presents and evaluates proposals and mechanisms for ensuring responsible AI, from EU-style regulations to open-source governance, from treaties to CERN-like research facilities and publicly owned corporations. You can read the essays here.  Drawing on perspectives from around the world, the collection underscores the need to protect openness, ensure inclusivity and fairness in AI, and establish clear ethical frameworks and lines of cooperation between states and technology companies. 

On 11 September, techUK held a workshop from 9:30 to 12:30 with DSIT’s Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA), featuring an address from Felicity Burch, Director of RTA and facilitation by Nuala Polo, AI Assurance Lead of RTA with attendance from techUK’s Digital Ethics working group members. This session allowed for testing and feedback on a forthcoming assurance tool set for public consultation in Autumn 2024. 

On 30 April 2024, techUK welcomed a group of responsible AI practitioners to our inaugural Digital Ethics Unconference. The unconference format, which gained popularity in the Tech sector in the mid-nineties, represented a move away from formal conferences, giving attendees the freedom to create the event they wanted.

As emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) become increasingly integrated into various aspects of our lives, ensuring their responsible development and deployment is paramount. AI assurance plays a critical role in this process, ensuring that these technologies are reliable, safe, and aligned with ethical principles. 

On 5/6 February 2024 UNESCO hosted the 2nd Global Forum on the Ethics of AI: Changing the Landscape of AI Governance in the Brdo Congress Centre of Kranj. This forum gathered expertise across countries and disciplines to focus on one of the most consequential challenges of our day: Getting AI governance right.