Procurement as the First Point of Contact with AI

This post acts as an overview of Fairly's work in the AI procurement space. Think of it like a field guide where you can find more of our content to gain a deeper understanding of this area.

With the spread of AI-related services and products, one question that might come up is how can an organization responsibly acquire AI-enabled technology if they don't build their own foundation models? To unpack the concept of ‘responsible AI’ in the context of procurement, there are a few foundational questions to ask:

1. What is a given supplier’s relationship with AI? Are they a developer, deployer, or user of AI systems? Our article on this topic explores these questions in depth.
2. How much risk and what types of risks are there in a given use case? We summarized the concept of 'risk tiering' in detail in this piece.
3. What responsible AI framework applies in this use case? What are the gaps in this framework? Our overview of responsible AI acts a tracker for frameworks and standards.
4. Has the supplier provided evidence for its AI system’s alignment with a given framework?

These four questions are part of the core considerations when an organization decides to start its AI procurement journey. Fundamentally, there needs to be an element of trust between procurer and supplier. With AI-driven technologies there is the additional need for reassurance that these systems work in a way that minimizes harms. By gaining a clear view into the link between suppliers and their AI systems as well as understanding the broader risks they expose themselves to, procurement professionals are then able to make informed decisions in selecting a framework that enables them to test AI systems effectively.

Fairly streamlines AI compliance by automating a number of steps in the governance, risk, and compliance processes such as policy development, questionnaire population, evidence extraction, and automated testing. What that means is  businesses that use Fairly can reduce costs, increase speed, and enhance confidence when choosing an AI-technology supplier.

As a company, Fairly draws on its team’s collective experience in data science, software engineering, law, and the public sector to deliver a streamlined experience. What sets us apart is our ability to rapidly adapt to your team’s unique needs by using AI-driven automation while keeping humans in the loop.

Book a call with us to learn how we can facilitate your journey into responsible AI procurement.

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DISCLAIMER. The insights and information contained in this article is intended for informational purposes only and we at Fairly AI do not intend for it to constitute legal advice, opinion, or recommendations that you, the reader, or others can depend on. For any legal issues linked to the information and insights contained in this article, please contact a lawyer/attorney to retain legal advice.

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