Over the past couple of years, we’ve witnessed a surge of people marching outside tech companies, received requests to sign open letters, and reviewed published research. The response from state and federal governments are inconsistent, slow, and often lean too heavily on innovation while putting people at risk.
What’s Really Going On?
The people pushing hardest for ethical AI are often not the people with the most power in the room. Individual advocates, researchers, and community organizers are raising the right concerns about bias, surveillance, job displacement, and the erosion of human agency. Some regulatory bodies are genuinely trying. Others are under-resourced, politically constrained, or have a vested interest from the industries they're meant to oversee. This isn’t new.
The pace of AI development, like most innovative technology, almost always out paces governance.
What We As Individuals Can Control
As an ethical AI researcher and an AI enthusiast who believes deeply in human agency, I keep coming back to these core tenants:
CHOICE: You can choose what you use and how you use it. Opting out of AI tools should be available for individual employees and organizations that don’t feel it aligns with their values.
TRANSPARENCY: Asking 'how are you using AI and why?' is a legitimate question at every level and is what transparency looks like in organizations you work and/or support.
GOVERNANCE: You can support the governance work of researchers, ethicists, and policy advocates doing this work in under-resourced spaces.
You can stay literate. The more people understand how AI actually works, not just what it’s capable of producing, the harder it is for harmful systems to go unquestioned.
It's Hard and Complex and Still Worth It
Ensuring responsible AI is genuinely one of the most difficult governance challenges of our time. The power imbalances are real. The pace is relentless. And the stakes are tangible for workers, vulnerable communities, and for democracy itself. Complexity though, isn't a reason to disengage. It's a reason to be strategic about where and how we engage.
I'm currently conducting research on how AI enables and constrains human agency. I'm looking for voices from across sectors. If you'd like to participate or learn more about this work, reach out at TawanaTownsendConsulting.com.