Accenture and AWS Launch Initiative to Help Businesses Begin Responsible AI Adoption

As businesses strategize their generative AI initiatives with a focus on responsibility, the question of where to begin often arises. To address this, several companies have started launching responsible AI platforms to assist decision-makers in navigating this technology. 

Accenture and AWS have recently joined the fray, offering a solution for businesses to assess their AI readiness and evaluate AI applications. They’ve introduced the Accenture Responsible AI Platform powered by AWS.

Arnab Chakraborty, Accenture’s Chief AI Officer, told VentureBeat that the platform serves as an excellent starting point for businesses exploring responsible AI, while also providing flexibility for those further along in their journey. 

“Accenture and AWS are merging the best of both worlds, offering our capabilities not just to individual companies but to our entire ecosystems,” Chakraborty said. “Now, clients can access different tool stacks that originate from AWS and partners, providing flexibility to the client.”

Accenture collaborated with AWS to make the platform available to their shared clients. AWS Vice President for Generative AI, Vasi Philomin, stated that Accenture’s responsible AI platform complements the responsible AI and AI safety tools available on AWS. 

In a demonstration to VentureBeat, the platform guides users through an inventory of the company’s AI applications, assesses its AI maturity, and submits applications for compliance. It is primarily designed for companies using AWS to run AI services. Users can also customize what the platform tests for, allowing them to emphasize specific areas of responsible AI or focus on industry-specific risks. 

Chakraborty explained that the platform aims to guide businesses through the entire lifecycle of AI programs. It assists companies in identifying specific risks, determining how to address these issues, and creating compliance programs to adapt to changing regulations. This process enables enterprises to scale their generative AI pilot programs up or down as needed. 

AWS already provides responsible AI and safety programs, including standalone AI safety platforms like Guardrails. AWS has also partnered with Anthropic to responsibly scale gen AI. 

The Rise of Responsible AI

Surveys indicate that businesses recognize the importance of responsibly deploying generative AI. However, a recent PwC survey revealed that only 58% of 1,001 companies have started addressing it. Accenture’s research found that a mere 2% of companies are managing AI operations responsibly. Responsible AI primarily focuses on risks related to hallucinations, bias, and occasionally safety.  

Chakraborty suggested that one reason for this is that businesses are often already overwhelmed with building gen AI applications, making the addition of responsible AI tasks seem daunting. It’s not that enterprises don’t see its importance; they do. They also understand the real-world problems that can arise if the AI goes rogue. 

However, other hurdles for enterprises still exist. These can range from defining what responsible AI means for the company, to confusion over leadership, talent shortages, and prioritization. While providers like Accenture and AWS offer technical platforms for enterprises to embark on their responsible AI journey, there is still a need for more guidance for businesses to fully understand what responsible AI entails and what it means for them. Enterprises must act swiftly to ensure that technology does not outpace responsible AI policies.