New standards for responsible business. New policies guiding the use of artificial intelligence. And new uses of catalytic capital top this week’s short signals we’re reading and watching.
- B Lab’s new blueprint. The nonprofit is out with its biggest ever rewrite of standards to the B Corp certification, used by over 9,000 businesses. B Corp-certified companies must now meet performance standards across seven impact topics, such as ‘fair work’ and ‘climate action.’ A negative impact assessment bars companies from certifying if they generate 1% or more of revenue from harmful activities, including gambling and prisons. (B Lab)
- Reasonably responsible AI policy. The White House unveiled new guidance on federal agencies’ use of artificial intelligence (replacing a Biden-era executive order). To the delight (or relief) of responsible AI advocates, the guidance reaffirms concepts such as trust and accountability, and presents concrete risk mitigation requirements. “I think this guide looks pretty good,” says TechBetter’s Ravit Dotan. “I’m optimistic about its impact!” (Ravit Dotan)
- Catalyzing capital for upskilling solutions. Investors have used flexible and risk-tolerant capital to successfully mobilize capital for housing, financial service finances, climate and other solutions overlooked by market-rate capital. A new report chronicles the history and use cases for catalytic capital and explores how the tool can be applied to fill financing gaps for solutions to skill training, mentorship and other workforce innovations. (Tyton Partners)
