At XXII, the ethics committee is not an option. It's a commitment.

AI, computer vision, real-time data... These are powerful tools. Too powerful to be left to the logic of performance alone. At XXII, we develop technologies that see, analyze and influence the real world. So a simple question arises: under what conditions is this acceptable?

It was to answer this question, and to provide ourselves with the means to do so on an ongoing basis, that we set up an independent ethics committee in the early stages of our growth. Not to tick a box. But to make ethics an integral part of our product, technical and strategic decisions.

Why an ethics committee?

Because "common sense" is not policy. Because moral dilemmas arise where we least expect them, in a choice of functionality, a customer use case, or a technical architecture.
And because, when it comes to sensitive technologies, anticipation is worth a thousand times more than reaction.

An ethics committee is not there to slow things down. It's there to ask the right questions before it's too late:

Is this feature aligned with our values?
Who could be negatively impacted by this use?
Are we adding control or understanding?
What technical safeguards are we putting in place?
How can we guarantee transparency and respect for fundamental rights?

At XXII, an active, integrated committee

Our ethics committee is made up of internal and external experts. Their role is not limited to an annual review: they accompany the product throughout its evolution.

They challenge our assumptions. They alert us to blind spots. They raise our standards. And above all, they help us to build an AI that is useful, responsible and in line with society's expectations, not just those of the market.

A strategic choice, not a symbolic one

Having an ethics committee is not just a communications gesture. It's a strategy for sustainability. Because a start-up that ignores these issues today will be forced to deal with them tomorrow: social protest, blocking regulations, loss of customer confidence, internal departures.

Conversely, setting up an ethics committee early on means :

Better control reputational risks.
Strengthen product consistency.
Create long-term value.
Attract talent that shares a vision.
Prepare the company for future regulatory requirements (such as the AI Act).

A conviction: all startups should have one

Not because it's trendy. But because we've entered a new technological era: one in which tech products are no longer neutral.
Every line of code embeds choices. Every feature shapes behavior. Every API can have systemic effects.

In this context, not to structure ethics is to ignore them.

So yes: all startups that touch on AI, data or society should have an independent, active and listened-to ethics committee. But not tomorrow. Now.