AI Ethics Without Teeth: Why Industry Principles Fail in Practice

Across the AI industry, there is widespread consensus on what ethical principles should guide development—fairness, transparency, and accountability. Yet enforcement remains virtually nonexistent, allowing companies to adopt ethics frameworks while continuing business as usual, a phenomenon called 'ethics washing.' As generative AI systems deploy faster than governance frameworks can respond, real-world harms in hiring, housing, and surveillance demonstrate that the gap between stated values and actual accountability has become a critical vulnerability.