Souter Point Introduces Ethical and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence Policy

Souter Point introduces an ethical and responsible use of AI policy

Artificial Intelligence is a routine part of how professional services firms research, analyse information, develop ideas, review content and produce client deliverables. Used well, it can improve efficiency, broaden access to information and help teams work through complex problems more quickly.

But those benefits come with an important responsibility: clients need to understand how Artificial Intelligence is being used, how its outputs are controlled and where human judgement remains accountable.

For that reason, we have introduced a new Ethical and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence Policy across our consulting, research, bidding and project management service lines.

The purpose of the policy is straightforward. We want to ensure Artificial Intelligence is used where it adds value, that associated risks are actively managed, and that our clients can have confidence in both the work we deliver and how it is produced.

Why transparency matters

Trust is fundamental to the work we do.

Our clients rely on us to provide objective analysis, challenge assumptions, interpret evidence and make recommendations that can withstand scrutiny. In competitive procurement, contracting authorities need confidence that a bidder genuinely possesses the capability, experience and delivery approach described in its tender. In project management, stakeholders need to know that decisions are based on evidence, professional judgement and appropriate governance.

Artificial Intelligence does not change those expectations.

What it can change is the way work is produced. That makes transparency increasingly important.

Artificial Intelligence can generate convincing content very quickly, but convincing does not always mean correct. It can misinterpret evidence, omit important context, produce unsupported conclusions or present inaccurate information with apparent confidence.

Our policy is therefore based on a simple principle:

Artificial Intelligence can support professional judgement, but it cannot replace professional accountability.

What the policy means in practice

Where Artificial Intelligence materially contributes to an engagement, we will be open with clients about its use.

Any material Artificial Intelligence-generated content used in our work must be reviewed and validated by a suitably competent Souter Point person before it is relied upon. That review is intended to be substantive, not simply a final proofread. Facts, assumptions, calculations, sources, conclusions and recommendations must be challenged and verified as appropriate, following a checklist developed for the use of Artificial Intelligence on all our client engagements.

We have also introduced specific safeguards around client information.

We will process confidential client information only through approved Artificial Intelligence systems, with appropriate security and contractual protections. We will not knowingly allow client information to be used to train generally available Artificial Intelligence models.

We will also maintain appropriate separation between client engagements. We will not use information generated or provided for one client for another where doing so could create a conflict of interest, breach confidentiality, or risk contaminating one client's work with information belonging to another.

Where client information is processed through Artificial Intelligence, we will apply appropriate controls over where that information is stored and processed, with a preference for approved United Kingdom or European Union locations where appropriate.

Clients will also retain the right to restrict or prohibit the use of Artificial Intelligence on their engagements. We will explain the implications of this decision clearly and agree on an alternative approach.

Better use of technology, not less accountability

Responsible Artificial Intelligence use is about using technology with appropriate judgement.

Artificial Intelligence can help consultants spend less time on low-value administrative tasks and more time interpreting evidence, solving problems and working with clients. It can improve research efficiency, support quality assurance, and provide new ways to test ideas.

But those benefits matter only if clients trust the process behind them.

That is why our policy places transparency, confidentiality, human validation and accountability at its centre.

We will therefore:

Use Artificial Intelligence where it improves the work. Be clear about how it has been used. Protect client information. Validate the output. And remain accountable for every deliverable we provide.

For us, that is not only an Artificial Intelligence policy. It is part of what responsible consulting should look like.

You can view our Ethical and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence Policy here, or by clicking the footer link on any web page on this website.