Alex Pollock‘s work every single day is driven by ethical AI innovation; it is not only a buzzword. In a field where buzz sometimes rules over quality, Alex is notable for emphasizing accountability. If the most recent dazzling invention does not properly or safely benefit people, he is not interested in pursuing it. Rather, he addresses the fundamental question: How can we design artificial intelligence that advances everyone and does not trample over ethics or trust?

Consider his regular calls for openness in AI decision-making. Alex doesn’t hold back in stressing the “black box” issue. Unlike other leaders who ignore the hazards, he believes that everyone—developers, users, policy-makers—deserves to know how an algorithm gets at its results. This means supporting understandable, easily available explanations rather than jargon-filled papers confusing more than they clarify.

Alex’s perspective isn’t restricted, though, only to openness. Before allowing any artificial intelligence to affect real life, he advocates thorough testing and validation. One of his frequently told tales: once an artificial intelligence system suggested a medical therapy based on skewed historical data. That event brought home a painful reality: unregulated artificial intelligence might cause more damage than benefit. Alex thus advises developers, “Fix it if the system throws out unfair recommendations or gibberish. Steer clear of sweeping things under the rug. Although it sounds clear-cut, advice that desperately requires repeating in a hurry to implement new tools.

Apart from his technical activities, Alex has started to show up frequently at industry conferences. He occasionally shakes things up with a trench narrative or even parodies the notion of “AI ruling the planet.” But his point of view always comes back around: ethical innovation drives rather than slows down development. One unforgettable moment from a recent event—he asked the crowded auditorium, “Would you trust an autopilot that cannot say why it turned left?” That produced a wave of uncomfortable laughing. The point was rather obvious.