Frank Bucaro

“The ethical purpose for AI is used to indicate the development, deployment, and use of AI which ensures compliance with fundamental rights and applicable regulation, as well as respecting core principles and values.” European Commission on Artificial Intelligence

In the recent research from the Capgemini Research Institute, it found:

• “Most executives (77%) are uncertain about the ethics and transparency of their AI systems.”

• “Executives in one out of ten organizations are aware of at least one instance of the use of AI systems that resulted in ethical issues.”

• The pressure to implement AI is fueling ethics issues.”

• “The use of AI is becoming fundamental to winning people’s trust.”

“The ethics of AI is a subfield of applied ethics and technology that focuses on the ethical issues raised by the design, development, and implementation and use of AI.”

Just these stats, open up a number of ethics issues and implications that have a significant trust component in them. Here are just a few of the most crucial ethics issues that need immediate attention and customized training.

Learning Objectives:

1. To train professionals in IT with customized ethics training needed to deal with their specific AI issues.

2. To build an ethical culture by which AI needs in its development and applications.

3. To develop and instill ethical methodologies needed to ensure the continual ethical usage of AI.

4. To learn and experience ethical strategies to help a company deal with AI unintended outcomes from an ethical perspective?

5. If the company is perceived to have operated in an unethical manner, what might be the “price to pay” even from a”false” perception? How would this affect customer loyalty, your corporate reputation, etc?

6. How does the lack of “targeted ethics training” possibly affect one’s brand,employee retention, the workplace at large, and the respective AI culture?

Socrates and Plato, both taught that knowledge and virtue are:

• If one knows what is right, then one will do what is right.
• Virtue is a kind of knowledge in that they are deeply ingrained habits that guide one’s action.
• The goal of the moral life is to cultivate the very best character one can.

If we use this as a “gauge” for leadership today, what would this tell us; maybe that leaders don’t examine deeply enough the moral dimension of their actions or their decisions or that those leaders who exemplify this “gauge” are far and few between? Or could it be that too much other stuff gets in the way, be it, CYA for your job, focusing solely on shareholders, etc.? or is that morals are not on one’s radar or the belief that morals have nothing to do with business. All are dangerous, and people can see the effect of the lack of moral leadership.

• Do leaders personally know what is “right?” If so, according to what standard, for what reason and for what result? Leaders need to take time to discern their own morals and how they bring them to the workplace and why. If they do or don’t, there is always a price to pay.
• What are the leaders’ deeply ingrained habits? The only way to judge this is to observe the leader’s actions and their effect on the people around them. Habits become “second nature” in that the leader doesn’t even have to think about them; it is an automatic consideration and an integral part of one’s decision making. The real issue is, are they positive or negative?
• The goal of the moral life is to cultivate character. What are the keys to character development? It seems to me that character is built on three concepts:

• Who you are: the virtues one has acquired, especially honesty and integrity.
• What you represent: one’s ability to recognize moral issues and choose the “good.”
• How you act when no one is watching:This denotes the degree of moral internalization.

These need to be an integral part of all values-based leadership development programs.

Trust issues, leadership missteps, and ethics issues can threaten any organization, impact market value and cause irreversible damage. This program focuses on the critical role of ethical behavior for those in leadership positions and will assist leaders, and their organizations navigate the high road to success.

Program highlights:

• The difference between positive and negative ethics and the workplace impact of each

• Moral awareness—a critical dynamic for building company trust
• Leadership virtues that are necessary to keep the company culture values-based and principle driven
• Two factors to consider in making business decisions, and why
• Techniques that are different but compatible when it comes to learning approaches to compliance and ethics

Does it seem that media reports of companies or individuals being fined, or accusations of unethical or even illegal behavior seem to be just about a daily occurrence? We may also find ourselves asking “how” or “why” ethics problems are still an issue with so many organizations touting their ethical culture.

Most folks would agree that ethical business practices are desirable and good for business. So what is the problem? This program will explore five challenges that can threaten the good name and reputation of any organization and will offer tools to help keep the focus on solid values while continuing to travel the high road to success.

Program highlights:

• The need to understand the difference between compliance and ethics and the impact on the workplace.
• Moral awareness: what it is and how crucial to creating an environment of trust.
• “Shades of gray” ethical thinking: Insights into the need for applied ethics for business clarity.
• The death of bland training: True education only happens when learning links up to people’s behavior. Everything else is bland and of little use.
• The leadership quagmire: What are the ethics issues that stymie leaders and how  to resolve them

Deals with sexual harassment, respect for men and women in the workplace, moral obligations towards each person, etc.

The recent surge of sexual harassment cases in the workplace has spurred on a global conversation. In fact, according to a recent USA Today article, two-thirds of Americans think sexual harassment in the workplace is a widespread problem. There is no question that the majority of us have someone we know that may include ourselves, who has faced issues on one or another side of this rising issue.

The topics of sexual harassment, moral obligations in relationship building,  and simple yet profound techniques to appreciate, accept and revere differences in gender and roles, in a practical, non-threatening environment are key issues.  The need is for productive acceptance of how and what we, individually represent, needs to be under a non-volatile title. This why we chose the word Respect in the title of the program.

The recent surge of sexual harassment cases in the workplace has spurred on a global conversation. According to a recent USA Today article, two-thirds of Americans think sexual harassment in the workplace is a widespread problem. What can be done to make the workplace better when it comes to respect for each and every employee? Do we need a new dynamic for men and women in the workplace? Is there an ethical/moral obligation that enters into this conversation?

This program offers insights and solutions to help expand the culture of respect in the workplace.

A growing number of professions are requiring continuing education in ethics. Failure to provide ethics training can contribute to costly, disruptive and embarrassing problems, as we continue to see played out in headlines.

Frank and his strategic ethics work sessions have always gotten the approval from the various financial/legal entities that need to fulfill a1-3 year ethics training requirement.

Frank Bucaro’s programs are requested by organizations with a strong commitment to ethics and ethics education. Frank is a recognized expert and thought leader–speaking, training, and writing on the subject of ethics and values–with well over 300 programs delivered across the country. His training sessions combine a practical and useful approach with easy to implement ideas presented in an entertaining format.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the difference between compliance and ethics. Although related, failing to understand the difference can result in vulnerability such as–If it is not a compliance regulation, then it must be o.k.”
• Learn practical decision-making skills to help instill cooperation in a positive work environment.
• Discover how “moral reasoning” can help with difficult decisions or gray areas.
• Gain knowledge and soft leadership skills to encourage transparency and culture building.
• Explore the significant role of management in developing and maintaining an ethical culture.
• Understand the types of power leaders possess– how and when to use each.
• Find out why it is important for employees to have an environment to honestly, professionally and responsibly enter into a dialogue on ethics or moral issues that affect the workplace.
• Gain a greater awareness of the power of ethical behavior and moral reasoning in such areas as reputation, safeguarding your brand, and employee retention.

Suggested Format: Two – three-hour strategic work session

Suggested Audience: Professionals with yearly ethics education requirements

Our business culture tends to shy away from using the term “moral” yet the research shows that the development of moral leadership is quickly becoming a non-negotiable in business. The challenge is to create and instill a corporate culture where acting morally and ethically is the norm. Morally aware people will be attracted to these types of values-based, principle-driven companies. The morally unaware will be the minority.

In the most recent report, State of Moral Leadership in Business 2020 by LRN, it states: “People who have leaders who consistently exhibit moral leadership are: Five times more likely to report satisfied customers, seven times more likely to expect better business results in the coming year and thirteen times more likely to see their company as being adaptable to change.”

My leadership program, Charting a New Path: Setting Your Moral Compass program is challenging in content, practical in application, and entertaining in delivery!