Videos
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Reid Blackman, PhD Keynote Speaker Reel -
Nevada Week: AI and the Election Part 1
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Fox and Friends: AI's risk to society
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Nevada Week S6 Ep5 Clip | Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
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What’s Wrong With Loving an AI? -
Let’s Turn “Fuzzy” Ethics into Concrete Action | Reid Blackman | RAIDI Summit 2019
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Reid Blackman: Rage Against The Machine | UNFINISHED19
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Ethical Machines with Reid Blackman
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Reid Blackman -
Reid Blackman, CEO at Virtue - Why we need a broader ethical AI perspective in business
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The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data - with Virtue CEO Reid Blackman
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Intro to Ethics for Startups
Learn More About Reid Blackman
There’s no doubt that advancements in artificial intelligence have pushed our society to the next level of technological breakthroughs. Exciting developments in finance, healthcare, education and more have taken humanity to new heights in speed and productivity. While machine learning and AI create a world of opportunities for innovators, they also present new risks with the potential to impact business and relationships.
Reid Blackman, Ph.D., knows the landscape of ethical risk inherent in organizations, particularly in AI programs, and specializes in building practical frameworks for responsible innovation and supporting organizations as they create and deploy AI for “not bad.”
An entrepreneur and former philosophy professor, Blackman is captivated by the ethics of emerging technologies. As founder and CEO of Virtue, a digital ethical risk consultancy, he is an authority on creating and scaling AI and digital ethical risk programs. He is relied upon by Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, including AWS, US Bank, EY, Deloitte and Anglo American, for his scalable cross-functional plans that leverage existing infrastructure and operationalize ethics practices. Blackman also offers advice for blockchain developers and users interested in avoiding threats like bad governance or privacy violations.
“Most people are afraid of AI ethics because they don’t understand the problems in the risk landscape. Once you see the issues, you’ll draw the same conclusions,” encourages Blackman, who advises the Canadian government on their federal AI regulations. By understanding the sources of risk, he emphasizes, organizations can avoid critical pitfalls as they scale AI and machine learning programs. His book, “Ethical Machines: Your Concise Guide to Totally Unbiased, Transparent, and Respectful AI” (Harvard Business Review Press, July 2022) breaks the complex topic of AI ethics down into understandable, actionable and achievable components, including articulating the seven elements of an effective and efficient AI ethical risk program. Called a “fresh contribution to the complex challenge of putting AI ethics into practice,” the book tackles the big three AI risks — bias, explainability and privacy — and tells you what to do (and what not to do) to mitigate them.
Moving beyond ethical practices and processes for AI, Blackman argues that the same frameworks can also apply to an entire organization. He recommends putting scalable ethical infrastructures, processes and practices in place to encourage innovation leaders and teams as they grow. His pioneering principles support leaders working closely with data scientists and developers, giving them organizational pathways to answer tough questions about emerging technologies, curbing offensive behavior in the workplace, and more.
“A good deal of organizations don’t know the ethical risks they’re exposed to, and they don’t know how to tackle them,” Blackman cautions. “If companies don’t get their ethical houses in order, they’re going to be in trouble.”
Despite the inherent ethical challenges in using the newest technologies, Blackman’s straightforward and no-nonsense approach helps companies detect ethical smoke before fires start, accomplishing their core functions using the newest technologies while maintaining a creative, innovative and ethically sound organization.
“Operationalizing data and AI ethics is not an easy task,” Blackman admits. “Companies that make the investment, however, will not only see mitigated risk but also more efficient adoption of the technologies they need to forge ahead.”
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Reid Blackman, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of Virtue, a digital ethical risk consultancy, and is the author of “Ethical Machines: Your Concise Guide to Totally Unbiased, Transparent, and Respectful AI,” published by Harvard Business Review Press. He has served as a Senior Advisor to the Deloitte AI Institute, a founding member of Ernst & Young’s AI Advisory Board, and volunteers as the Chief Ethics Officer to the non-profit, Government Blockchain Association.
Blackman’s work has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and many other publications, and he has contributed multiple pieces to Harvard Business Review, TechCrunch and VentureBeat. He has been quoted in dozens of news articles, and he regularly speaks internationally to audiences including the World Economic Forum, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, SAP, Cannes Lions, Forbes, Amazon Web Services, NYU Stern School of Business, Columbia University and NASA.
Prior to founding Virtue, Blackman was a professor of philosophy at Colgate University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His research has appeared in numerous prestigious professional journals including the European Journal of Philosophy, The Canadian Journal of Philosophy and Erkenntnis. He also founded a fireworks wholesaling company and was even a flying trapeze instructor. He received his bachelor’s from Cornell University, his master’s from Northwestern University and his doctorate from The University of Texas, Austin.
Reid Blackman is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group®.
Understanding and Navigating the Ever-Evolving AI World
Technologists are continually inventing new kinds of AI. In just the past few years we’ve gone from narrow to generative to agentic to multi-agentic to physical to symbiotic AI. It can be overwhelming. And yet, it’s imperative for leaders to understand these changes in a way that enables them to think clearly about the opportunities and challenges these new technologies present. In this talk Reid Blackman breaks down AI into its simplest, non-tech components. With no jargon, no math, no coding, and with clear, everyday examples, Blackman lifts the fog surrounding AI so that leaders can see it clearly. Leaders leave not only with an understanding of AI, but of what strategic decisions lay before them and how to make those decisions with a clear head.
AI is Evolving. So Must AI Ethical and Reputational Risk Management
The evolution from narrow to generative to agentic AI and beyond means the AI ecosystem is becoming ever more complex. The kinds of AI on offer are increasingly powerful. They can be used in increasingly many contexts. In some cases, they can engage in a series of actions in mere seconds that would take a human hours to accomplish. There is tremendous opportunity to create business value here. At the same time, the ethical, reputational, regulatory, and legal risks must be accounted for. And as AI becomes more complex, AI risk management strategies need to keep up with the pace.
In this engaging talk to executives, Reid Blackman explains the evolution of AI and how standard risk management practices must be updated so the potential of AI can be unlocked safely. Leaders leave the session with clear steps on how to assess their organization’s current AI risk posture and how to update it to meet the AI innovation imperative.
In a second version of this talk, for all employees across all departments and functions, Blackman addresses anyone who uses AI or oversees people using AI within the organization. Employees leave with an understanding of the different technologies they will interact with on a daily basis and how to use those tools effectively and safely.
Enabling the Board and C-Suite to Support AI Innovation without Putting the Brand at Risk
As AI becomes adopted, a strategy is needed to enable innovation in a way that protects the brand and the people it impacts. In this talk Reid Blackman lays out the sources of risk to organizations with a focus on what the Board and C-suite need to get their hands around. From high level strategic decisions about how to design an AI ethical risk/Responsible AI program to how a phased implementation supports innovation at scale to what they should expect of employees, Blackman leaves executives with clear calls to action on how they can best proceed to scale AI safely in their organization.
Everyone Needs to Learn to Smell AI Ethical Risk Smoke
As AI gets more complex and integrated into the workflows of all employees, more responsibility is put on the shoulders of employees to use those tools responsibly. They must use them in ways that protect the brand and the people they impact. Unfortunately, because the technology is complex, the vast majority of employees don’t know how to do this. In fact, they don’t even know how to detect whether something may be going ethically, reputationally, or legally wrong. In this talk, Reid Blackman delivers, in a way free of jargon or any technical terms, what AI is, how it gives rise to ethical and reputational risks, and how every employee can smell AI ethical smoke. Learning this key skill by understanding key concepts and best practices protects both the employee and their organization.
AI for Not Bad: Frameworks, Strategies & Solutions for Ethical AI Programs
Once solely the domain of academics, conversations about the ethics of artificial intelligence now permeate all levels of our society. Discriminatory and privacy-invading practices have led to deep trust violations, hurting businesses and customers alike. It’s become essential for executives and boards to install systems to keep their reputations, regulatory compliance and legal standing safe. Reid Blackman, Ph.D., is a visionary expert in AI ethical risk who helps put the processes in place for AI to advance your company’s objectives instead of undermining them. Pointing to the need for ethics education at all levels, Blackman advises, “It’s unwise of organizations to put the burden of understanding complex ethical concerns on data scientists, especially when they’re asked to make these important decisions without any knowledge of the potential damage of those choices.” His interactive and straightforward presentations make complex topics like black boxes or algorithmic bias accessible by technical and non-technical teams alike, transforming ethics from “ivory tower thinking” to actionable and empowering AI management processes. “Operationalizing data and AI ethics is not an easy task,” Blackman admits. “Companies that make the investment, however, will not only see mitigated risk but also more efficient adoption of the technologies they need to forge ahead.”
Ethical Machines: Managing and Minimizing Risk When Building & Scaling AI Systems
Artificial intelligence and machine learning systems promise to increase the speed of doing business, automating decisions and removing human effort. As work gets faster, ethical and business risks like bias or privacy concerns are likewise automated at scale. Are you prepared to take on those risks? Reid Blackman, Ph.D., moves the complex topic of AI ethical risk from an academic curiosity to business necessity. “Companies are going to do what they need to do with AI to improve their bottom line, but along the way, they shouldn’t put their brand, let alone people, at risk,” Blackman advises. In this presentation based on his book “Ethical Machines: Your Concise Guide to Totally Unbiased, Transparent, and Respectful AI,” he identifies the Big Three areas of ethical risk to companies as bias, explainability and privacy, then provides straightforward strategies to mitigate them. In translating complicated concerns to questions about business values and choices, Blackman makes it straightforward for managers across the organization – including data scientists, human resources and marketing leaders – to make the right decisions when implementing AI governance programs.
Additional speech topics Reid can customize to your needs include but are not limited to:
- Manage and Minimize Risk When Using Generative AI Tools
- Gaining a Competitive Edge: The Essential Tech Safety Gear for Ethical AI Innovation
- Mitigating Ethical Risk in the Age of Quantum Computing
- Linking Blockchain Technology to Established Ethical Practices
- Processes & Practices for Organizational Ethics
Ethical Machines: Your Concise Guide to Totally Unbiased, Transparent, and Respectful AI
(Harvard Business Review Press, July 2022)
Reid Blackman, Ph.D.’s mission is to enable others to make informed and wise decisions regarding emerging technologies. As he does in his book, “Ethical Machines: Your Concise Guide to Totally Unbiased, Transparent, and Respectful AI” (Harvard Business Review Press), he removes the fog from the landscape of risks inherent in artificial intelligence programs, then provides a path to proactive strategies for mitigation. By guiding teams as they think deeply about their industry or organization-specific risks, Blackman helps them articulate the important ethical and reputational business questions they couldn’t ask before. “Once the questions become clear,” Blackman advises, “It’s easy to devise strategies to address them.”
His interactive and customizable workshops offer technical and non-technical teams the opportunity to understand the difference between “AI for good” and “AI for not bad,” supporting organizations’ creative and innovative growth while keeping them true to their core values. Topics covered in Blackman’s half- and full-day workshops can include:
- The Evolving Digital Landscape and its Ethical Risks: AI, Blockchain, Quantum, AR/VR, and the Metaverse
- Keeping Up with the Evolution of AI
- Lifting the Fog on AI Ethics
- Building an AI Ethical Risk Program
- Solving for Biased AI
- Organizational Ethics
- Looking Inside the Black Box
- Guiding Principles for Blockchain
“Finally! A book that demystifies how to responsibly manage AI and does it in an engaging, succinct, and practical way. This is a must-read for anyone embarking on a machine learning journey. Blackman is a true expert in AI ethics, and this book is an indispensable resource.”
“An excellent read that turns a complex topic into understandable and actionable components. Business leaders need to understand that AI ethics isn’t just hand-waving. It poses real risks to brand and profit. Fortunately, Blackman is outstanding at laying out how you should think about AI ethics and the steps you should take.”
“Reid Blackman’s new book, ‘Ethical Machines,’ is a fresh contribution to the complex challenge of putting AI ethics into practice. Using vivid examples and accessible storytelling, Blackman introduces an actionable framework for comprehensive ethical risk management that will help companies avoid critical pitfalls as they incorporate AI into their products and processes.”
“Companies of all stripes are increasingly looking to use AI and hoping to build it ethically and responsibly. In this charming book, Reid Blackman provides practical guidance to turn these hopes into a reality.”
