Practical AI Ethics and Governance for Engineers

Move beyond vibes: implement concrete guardrails engineers can run.

Preflight checklist (excerpt)

- Purpose and scope documented
- Data sources, consent, retention reviewed
- Bias and harm analysis completed
- Red-teaming scenario tested
- Human-in-the-loop decision points identified
- Observability, rollback, and user feedback wired

Why this matters

• Small process now avoids big regulatory and brand risks later.

How to use this today

• Add a CODEOWNERS + checklist for AI changes in PR templates.
• Store model cards and data sheets alongside code.

Common pitfalls

• Treating governance as a one-time doc; keep it living in repo.
• No escalation path; assign owners and SLAs.

What to try next

• Automate checks (PII scanners, prompt risk linting) in CI.
• Add user-facing transparency notes and opt-outs.