Meta recently reorganized its Responsible Innovation team, shedding talent in the process. As we face economic uncertainty, I expect similar shakeups across the industry as operations tighten and the focus shifts to delivering on core value. Newly formed ethical and responsible tech offices, trust and safety teams, and AI ethics review boards could be cut as companies tighten their collective belts — long before these important efforts are able to prove their long term impact.

But now is not the time to take your attention off responsible and ethical tech efforts. Like technical debt, ethical debt is costly. And enterprises can no longer afford to ignore the ethical debt that technology has accrued.

It’s not just a “big tech” concern. Every company that relies on technology to connect with customers⁠ must develop a responsible and ethical tech strategy to earn stakeholders’ trust. Firms like Porsche, Nestlé, and IKEA are starting to take digital ethics seriously, tying their efforts to brand value and sustainable business practices.

Companies that address tech’s trust issues will drive values-motivated differentiation, accelerate innovation with confidence, and open opportunities for new trust-based business models. Despite the volatile climate and uncertainties we face, now is the right time for tech leaders to deliver a responsible and ethical technology strategy that earns trust and drives sustainable differentiation.

Check out Forrester’s latest research that lays out why and how your organization can develop a Responsible And Ethical Technology Strategy.