Bühler is a long-time consultant with deep experience helping companies through difficult projects, and this expertise shines through in her explanations of the steps it takes to manage complex institutional transformation in ethical, responsible ways. Much of her language is more complex than many leadership guides, with a high level of detail even in her hypotheticals—including fictional quotes from her invented companies—but her flashes of wit and practical advice are paired with thoughtful rigor, and helpful illustrations, examples, repetition, and subheadings keep things clear. (Especially in the opening chapters, the text at times reiterates points more often than necessary.)
Bühler’s Ethic Pocketknife provides an excellent set of values, practices, and tools for implementing AI in a variety of situations, assessing AI programs, facing ongoing challenges, and fostering a culture of integrity. This is a helpful introduction to this concept with a comprehensive view and a plethora of examples. Any reader interested in AI, especially one in a position of leadership, would benefit from absorbing the lessons from this illuminating guide.
Takeaway: Fresh lessons and an “ethical pocketknife” for using AI in businesses.
Comparable Titles: Reid Blackman’s Ethical Machines, Beena Ammanath’s Trustworthy AI.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Annette Bühler's Navigating Ethical Leadership in the Age of AI: The Ethic Pocketknife covers the roles of ethical leadership as AI technologies take off. Bühler emphasizes how important it is to incorporate ethical frameworks—deontological, teleological, and virtue ethics—into leadership work to avoid any ethical hitches with AI, like data privacy, bias, and transparency. Bühler gives us the "Ethic Pocketknife," a toolkit to help leaders add ethical considerations to their decision-making. Her toolkit includes sections like the Integrity Blade and Fairness File, which help make sure decisions are in line with human values and society. Bühler shows us its application by including case studies in sectors like healthcare and fintech, drawing out continuous improvement, stakeholder engagement, and the balance between technological progress and ethical standards.
"Ethical sensitivity means recognizing the broader implications of our actions and striving to do what is right, even when it's not the easiest path." Annette Bühler has done an excellent job of writing clear and well-structured arguments logically in Navigating Ethical Leadership in the Age of AI, breaking the work down into organized sections, distinct definitions, and in a style that is both professional and wonderfully accessible. Bühler amplifies this for readers by giving actionable insight that can be applied to businesses in almost any sector. I really appreciate the practical tools she spells out for us, the key piece being the Ethic Pocketknife. It's quite an innovative concept when you think about the handiness of a pocketknife, and I loved that the different tools that flip out of it are symbolic of Bühler's components. I'm partial to the Collaboration Corkscrew; you'll have to find out for yourself what that means. Overall, this is a fantastic, progressive, and forward-thinking guide that should be required reading for leaders, and leaders in the making.
