The OECD has released new guidance to help enterprises operationalize its standards on Responsible AI business conduct and the OECD AI Principles across the AI value chain. The report is designed as a practical tool for companies developing or deploying AI systems, with the stated goal of “support[ing] innovation, investment and growth of enterprises in the AI value chain by helping enterprises proactively address adverse impacts.”
It is explicitly intended to support implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the AI Principles. The guidance is “intended to be used as a tool for multinational enterprises involved in the AI system value chain,” positioning responsible AI as an integrated business governance function rather than a standalone ethics layer.
The foundation of the report is the OECD’s established responsible business conduct due diligence framework. This model provides voluntary but widely adopted principles and outlines six core steps:
- Step 1: Embed responsible business conduct into policies and management systems
- Step 2: Identify and assess actual and potential adverse impacts
- Step 3: Cease, prevent, and mitigate adverse impacts
- Step 4: Track implementation and results of due diligence activities
- Step 5: Communicate how impacts are addressed
- Step 6: Provide for or cooperate in remediation when appropriate
Chapter 2 applies these steps directly to AI development and use, pairing each stage with practical implementation examples and mapping them to existing AI risk management frameworks. The OECD emphasizes that these examples are not exhaustive checklists, but adaptable measures based on leading AI governance standards and expert consultation.
Importantly, the report argues that while many AI risk frameworks address safety and technical controls, the responsible business conduct model adds “additional clarity and closes gaps… particularly with respect to stakeholder engagement and remediation,” areas often underdeveloped in technical AI governance approaches.
Why this matters
This guidance effectively establishes a global baseline for responsible AI governance. As regulators increasingly align national rules with OECD standards, due diligence in AI is shifting from voluntary ethics guidance to structured governance expectations. Companies will be expected not only to manage technical risk, but to demonstrate documented processes for impact assessment, transparency, and remediation.
In short, the OECD is reframing AI risk as a business conduct obligation. Responsible AI is no longer just about model performance or safety testing. It is about governance, accountability, and measurable oversight across the full AI lifecycle.
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