There is a question that comes up more and more frequently in meetings with clients—one that, just a few years ago, would have been referred to the IT department: How is our data used, and what role does Artificial Intelligence (AI) play in the service you provide us? Today, the answer to this question significantly influences purchasing decisions, team confidence, and how the organization is perceived by the market.
The way a company uses AI, data, and algorithms is increasingly viewed as part of the experience of customers, employees, partners, and regulators. It is, therefore, a matter of reputation, as well as technology and legal compliance.
What the law doesn't say
The AI Act may specify when a company is required to comply. It does not specify when a customer loses trust.
O European Artificial Intelligence Regulation has been in effect since August 2024 and is being implemented in phases. The Digital Omnibus, which took effect in July 2026, postponed the rules applicable to certain high-risk systems until December 2, 2027, and those relating to high-risk systems integrated into products covered by European safety legislation until August 2, 2028.
But the expectations of customers and employees do not follow that timeline: anyone who discovers that their data has been used to train a particular model without their knowledge does not assess the situation in light of a regulation’s deadline.
It is in this space, between what the law requires and what the stakeholders They're waiting for the game to start Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR). In the definition by Lara Lobschat and colleagues, published in 2021 in the Journal of Business Research, CDR is the set of shared values and standards that guide an organization's relationship with digital technology and data—from creation and collection to use, impact assessment, and improvement.
A four-step guide
Yijing Wang of Erasmus University Rotterdam and Alexandra Schwinges of the University of Amsterdam propose, in a theoretical paper published in August in the Journal of Communication Management, a roadmap for moving from commitment to action. First, identify and engage the stakeholders: who is affected by the use of data and algorithms and what they expect. Then, work with them to establish the ethical foundations, rather than defining them behind closed doors. Third, embed and integrate CDR into the way the organization presents itself and operates. Finally, monitor, learn, and adjust, because technologies, rules, and expectations change rapidly.
The most useful aspect of the guide is the emphasis it places on participation. Digital responsibility can gain credibility when the stakeholders They participate in defining it and are able to monitor how it is implemented.
What Changes for Those Who Decide
In a B2B company, digital responsibility manifests itself in very specific moments: the data clauses in a contract, the response to a client’s security questionnaire, the way you explain to a team that an AI tool will change their work. Each of these moments conveys a message, even when no one intended it as communication.
For leaders, the useful questions are concrete. What have we promised regarding the use of data and AI? What can we prove? Who validates it? What are the consequences if we fail? Communication must be part of this process from the outset to ensure that what is promised on the website matches what is actually stipulated in the contracts.
In many organizations, AI management is still treated as a technical or legal issue. But customers already view it as a reputational issue.