AI Ethics: What You Need to Know and Why It Matters

By Iryna Smuk

Imagine a world where your car drives itself perfectly, your doctor diagnoses illnesses with superhuman accuracy, and your news feed is curated to never challenge your beliefs. Artificial intelligence (AI) promises this utopia. But before we jump into it, there’s an important question we need to answer:

Can we trust AI to make decisions that impact our lives… ethically?

This is where AI ethics steps in — the critical examination of how AI is developed and used to ensure it benefits everyone, not just a chosen few. So, let’s delve into why AI ethics is crucial for shaping a future that’s fair, safe, and truly intelligent for all.

Key Takeaways

• AI ethics covers a variety of issues, from the design and deployment of AI technologies to their effects on individuals and communities.
• Some of the main objectives of AI ethics are to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability for the outcomes.
• Since AI systems are created by humans and are trained on data that may be biased, they can provide unfair outcomes.
• There is currently little insight into how the data is being collected, processed, and stored, raising privacy concerns.
• The effects of training huge AI models on the environment are a serious problem.
• Many AI systems are complex “black boxes” where the decision-making process is unclear.
• AI ethics aims to establish clear accountability frameworks necessary to address potential harms caused by AI.

What are AI Ethics?

AI ethics encompass the principles guiding stakeholders — from engineers to government officials — in ensuring the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence. It covers a variety of issues, from the design and deployment of AI technologies to their effects on individuals and communities. Implementation of AI ethics can occur through corporate codes of ethics and government-led regulatory frameworks.

Recently, the conversation around it has evolved beyond academic research and non-profit organizations. Major tech companies have dedicated teams to address ethical challenges associated with large-scale data collection. Moreover, governments and intergovernmental bodies are developing regulations and ethical policies informed by academic research.

Why is AI Ethics Important?

AI ethics is important because AI systems are increasingly making decisions that impact our lives. Some of the main objectives of AI ethics are to ensure fairness and prevent bias and discrimination, improve transparency as well as address accountability for the outcomes.

Responsible use of AI is an essential and ongoing dialogue in the field of artificial intelligence. It seeks to guide AI technologies in a way that optimizes its advantages, minimizes harm, and upholds human values.

Overall, ethical AI practices are the foundation for driving innovation and human flourishing.

Major Ethical Issues in AI

Numerous real-world challenges highlight the ethical issues surrounding AI. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

AI: Bias and Discrimination

Since AI systems are created by humans and are trained on data that may be biased, they can provide unfair outcomes. A notable example is the 2016 revelations, which highlighted that software used by US courts to predict future criminals showed bias against African Americans. This instance underscores the urgent need for more diverse training datasets and bias-aware algorithm design.

AI ethics helps identify and address biases and discrimination, ensuring fairer treatment for everyone.

AI: Privacy and Exploitation of Intellectual Property

AI development often involves large amounts of personal data, but there is currently little insight into how the data is being collected, processed, and stored. It raises concerns about who can access personal data and how they can use it. For example, according to The Washington Post, Lensa was being trained on billions of photos sourced from the internet without consent.

AI ethics emphasizes responsible data practices, safeguarding privacy, and preventing misuse of personal information.

AI: Environment

The effects of training huge AI models on the environment are a serious problem. The energy required to train intricate AI models is high and increases carbon emissions. The University of Massachusetts Amherst has found that training a large AI model can produce around 626,000 pounds of CO2 equivalent, which is almost five times the emissions throughout an average American car’s lifetime (including the car’s production).

Although research is ongoing to develop more energy-efficient AI methods, there is a need for greater incorporation of environmental ethics into AI policies.

AI: Decision-Making

Many AI systems are complex “black boxes” where the decision-making process is unclear. All AI stakeholders — producers, educators, users, and casual observers — deserve to have a clear understanding of how AI systems make decisions.

That’s why, by proactively considering ethical concerns, we can ensure transparency and allow us to understand how AI reaches its conclusions.

AI: Accountability

The more decisions AI systems make that affect our daily lives, the more important it is to define explicit responsibilities. When an autonomous car misbehaves, who should be held responsible? It can be difficult to assign blame when AI systems make mistakes. Self-driving vehicles are a strong illustration. In 2016, the driver of a Tesla Model S was killed when his car, operating on its autopilot system, crashed into a tractor-trailer in Florida. This case highlights the need for greater clarity of organizational and personal accountability when AI goes wrong.

AI ethics aims to establish clear accountability frameworks necessary to address potential harms caused by AI.

How to Learn More About AI Ethics

If you’re interested in enhancing your understanding of AI ethics and developing your ethical skills, here are some valuable resources and courses:

“AI Ethics” by Mark Coeckelbergh

Mark Coeckelbergh’s book, part of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, provides an accessible synthesis of ethical issues raised by artificial intelligence, moving beyond sensationalism to address concrete questions.

“A Citizen’s Guide to Artificial Intelligence” by John Zerilli

This book provides a concise yet informative overview of AI ethics and policy, examining the substantial impact of artificial intelligence on various aspects of society.

AI Ethics: Global Perspectives

A collection of lectures on the ethical implications of data and Artificial Intelligence from different perspectives.

Ethical Implications of AI by Z-Inspection

This website offers a comprehensive resource of various educational materials for learning about AI ethics, combining theoretical foundations with practical applications.

Hence, it is clear that the ethical considerations surrounding artificial intelligence are not merely theoretical constructs but pressing issues that demand our attention. From preventing harm and building trust to promoting inclusivity and fostering innovation, AI ethics serve as the guiding principles that shape the future trajectory of AI development and deployment.

Did the article change your perspective on the importance of AI ethics? If so, how? Please, share your thoughts in the comments!

You may also be interested in our article on Why Sustainable Tech is the 2024 Top Trend.

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