Friso: ‘There is a parallel between the AVG and responsible AI. AI is often a special way of working with personal data. At Hot ITem Conclusion, I and a colleague had successfully made a previously developed privacy framework for data-driven working applicable to other organisations. Then - well before the hype - we started thinking about how organisations could also handle AI responsibly. Together with other colleagues, I then developed the responsible AI framework. This framework creates frameworks that organisations have to stay within, to avoid flying off the handle.

The fear of not doing it right is there in many organisations. Because if you don't do it right, the risks are high. The advantage is that working with AI is relatively new for many organisations. That makes it easier to learn a good way of working right away, and thus deal with AI responsibly. The trick is to explain the difficult subject matter simply and limit it to exactly what an employee has to deal with. Most people do not need to understand how an AI model works, but rather how to deal with AI in their work.’

Friso himself, of course, needs to stay up-to-date to be at the forefront of his field. How do you do that? Friso: ‘By reading a lot. It's all going very fast now, but that pace is slowing down. The field of responsible AI suits me well, given my background as a lawyer and economist. I understand how a company works, how the law works and I originally come from IT. That's a nice mix to be able to lead the way.’

What will AI change for the average employee? Friso: ‘AI can handle boring repetitive work, allowing employees to focus on creative work and social interaction. That is also responsible AI. That AI helps people, rather than making people redundant.’