Artificial Intelligence (AI) is pervasive. AI supports the decision-making of governments, the private sector, marketers and many more.
Opportunities for AI and Ethics
AI Benefits
On a macro level, AI helps to combat global problems like climate change, world hunger, world poverty (optimizing economic aid); finding covid solutions building inclusive environments and tools for people with disabilities. Every aspect of marketing can benefit from AI – from messaging, targeting, servicing, adding value, producing, logistics, pricing, presenting news – even building relationships (see Chinese Girlbot with 465m Boyfriends ) and even AI Avatars like Lil Miquela building her own business.
AI Challenges
AI has immense capacity for good. However, AI’s negative impacts are ‘exacerbating an already divided and unequal world’ (UNESCO). ‘AI development should be controlled’ (UNESCO). According to UNESCO we are already seeing:
- increased gender bias and ethnic bias
- threats to privacy, dignity and agency
- dangers of mass surveillance
- unreliable AI tech in law enforcement
Plus my observation:AI-Created Deep Fakes destroying democracy along with Super AI Board-Bots Taking Control
Bias is everywhere. Report it when you see it.
Racially Biased Soap Dispenser
See the AI-driven racially biased soap dispenser
Gender Biased ‘Facts’ on the Internet
Ask your friends ‘who scored the most goals in international football? Note their answers. Then show them this video.
Remember that name – Christine Sinclair – the Canadian who holds the record of scoring the most international goals with – 185 goals. Although the internet will tell us Christian Ronaldo 122 goals which is simply incorrect and gender biased.
AI Bias, (including gender and race) can stop you from gaining access to places, services, information, purchasing…. as demonstrated by the biased soap dispenser.
Therefore, ‘AI developments should abide by the rule of law, avoiding harm, and ensuring that when harm happens, accountability and redressal mechanisms are at hand for those affected.’ (UNESCO).
We are technological beings and we must take responsibility for that
World’s 1st Global Agreement on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
196 member states have agreed on the Global Standards (requirements) of/for ethics in AI (beyond what tech firms and governments are doing). Here are the four key points:
- Protecting Data – individuals should all be able to access or even erase records of their personal data. Improve data protection and an individual’s knowledge of, and right to control, their own data. Increases regulatory bodies around the world ability to enforce this.
- Banning social scoring and mass surveillance – infringe on human rights and fundamental freedoms – accountability must always lie with humans and that AI technologies should not be given legal personality themselves
- Monitor Ethical Impact Assessment – to help countries and companies (using AI) to assess the impact on individuals, society and the environment….Independent AI Ethics Officer or other mechanisms to oversee auditing and continuous monitoring.
- Protecting the environment – AI actors should favour resource-efficient AI methods – be more prominent in the fight against climate change… throughout the AI system life cycle … NB data extraction consumes nearly 10 % of energy globally.
Educate people about AI and make AI developers, sponsors and owners responsible and accountable
5 Must-Know AI Observations
- AI has proven its value in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic
- AI can be a powerful tool to address climate change and environmental issues*
- AI-driven growth is likely to be highly unequal
- AI contributes to widening existing gender gaps
- AI cannot be a no law zone
Database form of AI is very good at pattern-recognition, image-recognition, speech-recognition
6 AI Questions You Must Ask (and Find Answers)
These questions are mostly drawn from this excellent UNESCO video Do you know AI or does AI know you better?
If we don’t ask ethical questions about AI to scientists, engineers, philosophers, ethics bodies, politicians, law makers, individual friends and colleagues ‘then, it’s only the companies that ask the questions – companies who design (AI) systems to make money’. (UNESCO Video 2021)
- What is the AI lesson from Frankenstein?
- Can you leave technology to its own devices?
- What AI engineering narrative must be changed immediately?
- When AI recommends decisions, or even takes decisions, on our behalf- who’s responsibility is it? Particularly if things go wrong?
- Can we learn to educate the algorithms before they take over?
- What can you do about it?
I will add some suggested answers soon. Meanwhile please do ask the questions, and perhaps post your own answers.
What is the AI Lesson from the Frankenstein story?
Watch This Essential UNESCO Video (18 mins)
All of the screen-grabs (with text) in this post are from this excellent video. Make sure you find time to watch this video.
UNESCO has introduced a set of Global Standards in the field of AI.
Welcome to the Global AI Ethics and Governance Observatory
The observatory aims to provide a global resource for policymakers, regulators, academics, the private sector and civil society to find solutions to the most pressing challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence. The Observatory showcases information about the readiness of countries to adopt AI ethically and responsibly. It also hosts the AI Ethics and Governance Lab, which gathers contributions, impactful research, toolkits and good practices across a range of issues related to AI ethics, governance, responsible innovation, standards, institutional capacities, generative AI, and neurotechnologies.
UNESCO’s work on AI ethics and governance stems from the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, which was adopted by 193 countries in 2021.
The Recommendation mandated UNESCO to produce tools to assist Member States, including the Readiness Assessment Methodology, a tool for governments to build a comprehensive picture of how prepared they are to implement AI ethically and responsibly for all their citizens.
If you like this post, you might enjoy this shocker: Will ChatGPT + ChatBots + Avatars Make Us Immortal?
You might also enjoy these, less shocking, yet important:
Chinese Girlbot with 465m Boyfriends
Super AI Board-Bots Taking Control – AI & Data Crisis Coming?
AI-Created Deep Fakes destroying democracy – Deep Fakes Advantages and Disadvantages
Lil Miquela – AI driven avatar – AI Uses My Magic Marketing Formula
Join my 30 minute Friday chat about AI, Innovation and Ethics in Marketing and Business.
1pm (Dublin/London time) on my Linkedin Profile (scroll down to ‘Activity’ and then select ‘Events’) .
I also issue a 60 Second Summary of all previous chats here.
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UNESCO REFERENCES
Recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence (unesco.org) – 5 things you need to know about AI;
Sarraf, S. (2021) UNESCO launches global standard for AI ethics Infoworld 29 Nov
Global AI Ethics and Governance Observatory (2024) UNESCO
Recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence (unesco.org) – 5 things you need to know about AI
UNESCO member states adopt the first ever global agreement on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence: examples of ethical dilemmas (unesco.org)
UNESCO Human AI
