Navigating new technology

We knew we couldn’t ignore it, but a top-down policy wouldn’t align with our core values.

Our goal was to create a framework for exploring and using AI tools responsibly, transparently and in a way that is human-centred. We wanted to foster a culture of experimentation and curiosity, without increasing anxiety or pressure on our team.

Our approach

Our policy was not drafted in isolation; it was co-created through team-wide workshops. We came together to map out our opportunities, challenges and ‘wicked questions’. This involved openly discussing our worries, from ethical concerns about surveillance and creative integrity to our emotional reactions like fear and distrust. (Huge thanks to Matt Collins and Ray Cooper for supporting us with these sessions!)

From these discussions, we built a set of guiding principles. The most important ones focus on our human-centric and equitable objectives:

• Human-centred and expert-led: We firmly position AI as a powerful assistant, not a replacement for our expertise. Our critical judgement and experience are our greatest assets and we use AI to build upon our ideas, not to replace our thinking.

• Focus on inclusion and equity: We are focused on the “democratising power” of these new technologies, which can reduce barriers and help marginalised communities create new digital services. At the same time, we remain highly mindful that these tools can reinforce harmful bias and stereotypes and may be implicated in exploitative production practices.

• Supportive and collaborative culture: We are committed to supporting each other. No team member will be pressured to adopt tools they are uncomfortable with and we foster a culture where we can share learnings openly and without judgement.

What’s next?

The field of AI is changing rapidly, so we’ve designed our policy to be a “living document”. We will review it together as a team every three months, ensuring it remains relevant, practical, and reflective of our collective experience and values.