Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we live and work, from self-driving cars to smart home assistants. But with this exciting technology comes a host of ethical considerations that must be addressed to ensure its responsible and fair use. The ethics of AI development is an important topic to me for a couple of important reasons.
Artificial bias in artificial intelligence
One of the most pressing ethical concerns around AI is the issue of bias. Machine learning algorithms are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on, which means that if the data is biased, the AI will be too. This can have serious consequences, particularly when it comes to sensitive areas like hiring, lending, and criminal justice. For example, an AI system used for hiring that is trained on data from predominantly white, male candidates could end up discriminating against women and people of colour.
Reinforcement learning is a type of machine learning where an AI learns by trial and error. The AI tries different actions and receives feedback on whether those actions were correct or not. Over time, the AI learns which actions lead to the desired outcome. However, if the feedback given to the AI is biased, this can lead to the AI making biased decisions. For example, a reinforcement learning algorithm used for hiring may be biased if it receives feedback that favours candidates from certain schools or with certain work experience.
Bias can also be introduced through the design of the AI algorithm itself. For example, if a programmer has a bias towards certain outcomes or perspectives, this can be reflected in the way that the AI makes decisions.
To address bias in AI, it is important to be aware of these potential sources of bias and take steps to mitigate them. This can include using diverse training data that accurately represents the real world, implementing checks and balances to ensure that the AI is not making biased decisions, and involving diverse perspectives in the design and development of the AI algorithm.
Privacy concerns
Another ethical issue with AI is privacy. As more and more of our personal information is collected and analysed by algorithms, there is a growing risk of that data being misused or hacked. For example, facial recognition technology could be used to track individuals without their knowledge or consent, or health data collected by wearables could be sold to insurance companies without the user’s permission.
Privacy is not a new issue, but with the prevalence of AI, it is becoming increasingly complex and potentially more invasive. Technology companies like Google and Facebook have been collecting data on their users for years, but AI allows them to process that data much faster and to a higher level of granular detail than ever before. This means that the potential privacy issue is much larger than what has previously existed.
For example, Google stores your location information to power Maps History, which can be useful for providing personalized recommendations and directions. However, this data could also be used to track your movements and behaviour, potentially compromising your privacy. Similarly, Facebook analyses your face for facial recognition, which can be used to tag photos and enhance security features. Both of these technologies can be useful to the user, and the data collection is required for these features to work, but this technology could also be used to track your movements and identify you in public places without your knowledge or consent.
These issues are not just limited to individual companies – government agencies also have access to vast amounts of personal data through tools like xKeyscore and the Five Eyes network. The Edward Snowden leaks revealed just how much data the government was collecting on its citizens, including phone records, email communications, and social media activity. With the help of AI, this data can be analyzed on a much larger scale and with greater accuracy, potentially compromising individual privacy and civil liberties.
But it’s not just about the risks associated with AI – there are also responsibilities that come with developing and deploying this technology. For example, companies and governments have a responsibility to ensure that AI is used in a way that benefits society as a whole, and not just their own interests. They must also be transparent about how AI is being used, and provide meaningful opportunities for individuals to opt out of certain uses.
I recently watched this extremely informative and interesting Lex Fridman interview with Sam Altman from OpenAI, a wide ranging discussion on many areas of artificial intelligence development, including ethical considerations.