Responsible AI in Media Organizations: Four Case Studies Implementing Ethical Tools in Practice

Ethical tools are frequently proposed as a means to promote the design and implementation of responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI). Yet many organizations designing and deploying AI make only limited use of ethical tools. This study explores the application of ethical tools for responsible AI in the media sector through four case studies conducted at three Dutch media organizations. Each case study involves the application of an ethical tool to improve the responsible design, development, or deployment of an AI application. The findings reveal that successfully implementing ethical tools is highly contextual, and requires more than their mere availability. Tools must be selected, adapted, or even partly developed to align with specific challenges. Additionally, successful adoption of ethical tools necessitates organizational awareness of AI ethics, knowledge of mitigation strategies, and an organizational governance that supports responsible AI. These insights thus highlight the importance of contextualization and organizational readiness for establishing a responsible AI practice.