Between Code and Consciousness is a series by The Beautiful Truth asking the question: What does it mean to think, create or decide in the age of AI? Nine leading voices reflect on artificial intelligence – not as an abstract force, but as a tool whose worth depends on how it honours our humanity. 

After the 2008 financial crisis, public trust in capitalism collapsed. In its wake, new frameworks emerged, each seeking to repair the system’s broken social contract. In business, conscious capitalism drew inspiration from the world of ethical brands. In sustainability, doughnut economics mapped out a ‘safe and just space’ for human activity – a model where economies grow without breaching social foundations. In policy, inclusive capitalism, backed by institutions as unlikely as the Bank of England and the Vatican, set out to harness markets for the common good. 

Few figures have championed that last vision as persistently as Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild. Trained as a lawyer, she went on to build a career as an entrepreneur and investor, holding board seats at global companies and founding the Council for Inclusive Capitalism – a not-for-profit that has reshaped how leaders understand business value.  

More than any other technology, AI mirrors who we are – our values, ethics, what we hold dear. What do we want that model to be? 

As humans, we are values-driven. I see it with my granddaughters – it’s inside them. But the question is: how do we give AI a spiritual orientation, like we have? What are we building into AI that creates its core? 

At the Council for Inclusive Capitalism, we believe our Guiding Principles can provide that foundation: equality of opportunity, equitable outcomes for those with the same opportunities, fairness across generations and fairness to those whose circumstances prevent full participation in the economy. If we get that right, the rest is detail. These principles can be a roadmap for building an inclusive AI ecosystem. 

WIs the purpose of capitalism to serve society? Does AI throw this dilemma into sharper relief? 

Innovators won’t slow down. So, the guardrails – built into the race – must be fundamental. That responsibility lies with innovators, governments and regulators. 

Everything begins with morality. I reread Plato’s Republic over the summer. Socrates asked, “What is justice?” Some said it was whatever the powerful wanted, but he pushed back – there’s a higher calling. History shows civilisation returns to the mean – justice, reconciliation, decency – even after the most indecent horrors. 

With free trade and climate policy, it was often blue-collar workers who bore the costs. With AI, white-collar jobs are now under threat, which is why it’s receiving more attention. But for us at the Council, the plight of the working class – those left behind by decades of globalisation and widening inequality – has always been central. AI must not repeat those mistakes.