May 29, 2025
What happens when a philosopher, a pyrotechnics entrepreneur,
and a tech ethicist walk into a boardroom? You get Reid
Blackman—author of "Ethical Machines", host of a podcast by the same name, and founder of Virtue, a consultancy helping Fortune 500 companies
navigate the ethical risks of AI. In this episode of Leveraging
Thought Leadership, we explore the collision of ethics, emerging
tech, and organizational complexity.
Reid shares his unorthodox journey from selling fireworks out of a
Honda to advising top executives on responsible AI. He discusses
how AI creeps into organizations like a Trojan horse—through HR,
marketing, and internal development—bringing serious ethical
challenges with it. Reid explains why frameworks are often
oversimplified tools, why every client engagement must be bespoke,
and why most companies still don’t know who should own AI risk.
We dive into the business realities of AI risk management, the
importance of moving fast in low-risk sectors like CPG, and the
surprising reluctance of high-risk industries like healthcare to
embrace AI. Reid also outlines how startups and tech-native firms
often underestimate the need for ethical oversight, and why that’s
a gamble few can afford.
If you want to understand how to future-proof your brand’s
reputation in an AI-driven world—or just love a good story about
risk-taking, philosophy, and Led Zeppelin-fueled
entrepreneurship—this is the episode for you.
Three Key Takeaways:
• AI Risk Is Organizational, Not Just
Technical
Ethical AI risk isn’t the sole responsibility of the CIO or tech
team—it's a company-wide issue. AI often enters through
non-technical departments like HR or marketing, creating
reputational and legal risks that leadership must manage
proactively.
• Frameworks Are Overrated—Bespoke Solutions
Win
Reid challenges the reliance on generic frameworks in thought
leadership. Instead, he emphasizes the need for bespoke, agile
solutions that are deeply informed by organizational structure,
goals, and readiness.
• Reputation Drives Readiness for Ethical AI
Large brands in low-risk sectors (like CPG) are often quicker to
adopt ethical AI practices because the reputational stakes are
high. In contrast, high-risk sectors (like healthcare) are slower
due to the complexity and fear surrounding AI implementation.
If the episode with Reid Blackman sparked your interest in the
ethical implications of thought leadership in rapidly evolving
fields like AI, then you’ll find a compelling parallel in our
conversation with Linda Fisher Thornton. Linda dives into the
broader responsibilities of thought leaders to ensure their content
is not just smart, but also ethical, inclusive, and meaningful.
While Reid examines AI as a fast-moving ethical challenge that
demands bespoke, responsible oversight, Linda zooms out to
highlight how thought leadership, in any domain, must be built on a
foundation of trust, transparency, and long-term value creation.
Both episodes challenge leaders to do more than inform—they must
lead with conscience and intention. Listen to Linda’s episode to
explore how ethics can—and must—be the throughline of every thought
leadership strategy.