Stop Hiring for Theatre. Start Hiring for Power.
This visual explainer examines the changing role of AI ethics and Responsible AI practitioners in 2026. As AI systems become embedded in products, organisations, and public infrastructure, the question is no longer whether organisations need AI governance capability, but what kind of capability they need.
Too many AI ethics roles have historically sat at one of two extremes: speculative discussions about distant futures, or symbolic governance functions with little influence over decision-making. Neither is sufficient for organisations deploying increasingly powerful AI systems.
This deck argues that Responsible AI is fundamentally about power, risk, accountability, and governance. It explores what meaningful AI ethics roles look like in practice, why organisational authority matters, and how expertise should be matched to deployment risk.
Published on LinkedIn in January 2026.