WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation today announced principles for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the retail sector to support industry artificial intelligence (AI) governance and strategic planning. Developed through the Digital Risk & Innovation Center, the principles promote good and effective governance of AI, foster consumer trust, and foster continued innovation and beneficial use of AI technologies.
As retailers of all sizes continue to expand their AI capabilities, these general principles of AI use are becoming increasingly important to the industry.
Christian Beckner Executive Director NRF Digital Risk & Innovation Center
“Retailers are using AI to better serve their customers, improve the shopping experience, and increase operational efficiency,” said NRF Vice President of Retail Technology and Cybersecurity and NRF Digital Risk & Innovation said Christian Beckner, executive director of the center. “As retailers of all sizes continue to expand their AI capabilities, these general principles regarding AI use are becoming increasingly important to the industry.”
The principles fall into four high-level categories:
1. Governance and risk management: Retailers need to develop strong internal governance of their AI tools and capabilities as a foundational foundation to manage risk and ensure that AI delivers the expected benefits.
2. Customer engagement and trust: Retailers must be transparent about the use of AI that has a legal or similarly significant impact on customers, establish safeguards to prevent unlawful discrimination against protected class individuals, and use consumer AI Application governance must be aligned with existing internal privacy, cybersecurity, etc. Data governance policy.
3. Purpose and use of labor: Retailers must engage in ongoing monitoring and review of AI applications that can directly impact their employees and that they use to support business needs.
4. Responsibilities of business partners: Retailers need to establish clear guidelines and expectations for business partners who provide AI tools, datasets, and services.
The NRF Digital Risk & Innovation Center serves as the focal point for NRF’s work on technology issues that have important policy and risk management implications for the global retail industry. The Center plans to develop a report and additional guidelines in the coming months that will provide additional context and assist retailers in using these principles.
As a leading authority and voice for the retail industry, NRF works with retail technology leaders to provide insight on technology trends and challenges and foster collaboration across the sector.
Learn more about the NRF Center for Digital Risk & Innovation.
About NRF
The National Retail Federation passionately champions the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retailers succeed. Headquartered in Washington, DC, NRF powers the industries that drive the economy. Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the United States, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and accounting for one in four American jobs, or 52 million working Americans. We support For more than a century, NRF has been the voice of all retailers and all retail businesses, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and the global economy. nrf.com
About NRF Digital Risk & Innovation Center
The NRF Digital Risk & Innovation Center is the National Retail Federation’s hub for addressing key technology issues that have important policy and risk management implications for the global retail industry. The Center works with retailers, industry partners, and other stakeholders to develop guidelines and recommended best practices on technology issues to inform decision-making and risk management by retail business leaders. Masu. nrf.com/cdri