Why AI Makes Authenticity More Valuable
AI misuse continues to top our Reputation Risk Index—the solution isn’t rejecting this new technology, it's protecting what technology can’t replace.
AI misuse has appeared in every Reputation Risk Index we’ve published over the past year. 2025 saw organizations deploy artificial intelligence to increase efficiency, scale impact, and reduce costs. But many did so without fully grasping the ramifications of integrating this technology so quickly. And when stakeholders discovered limitations or challenges with the automation, or found it to be deceptive, the backlash was just as swift.
In my last piece, I explore how corporate reputation risks translate to philanthropy through the lens of transparency and authenticity. While AI misuse has a more clear translation to the philanthropy field than some of the other risks on the index, AI stands out as a technology to master, rather than a practice to avoid.
The question isn’t whether nonprofits should use AI. It’s how to deploy it without impacting the human connections that make philanthropic work meaningful.