Why Are We Failing at the Ethics of AI?

There are pressing ethical challenges related to AI systems and their societal impacts. Below are several key issues:

1. The accelerated integration of AI into daily life due to COVID-19, controlled by leading technology companies through procurement or outsourcing, which poses challenges related to public services and digital infrastructures.
2. The vulnerability of marginalized groups who may lack digital access or digital literacy and thus are excluded from meaningful discussions and decision-making processes regarding AI systems. This situation, combined with human biases, can exacerbate inequalities and discrimination.
3. Three main issues contributing to the lack of substantial progress in AI ethics are outlined:
4. Narrow dialogues that focus on specific stages of AI development and ignore earlier conceptualization and design phases.
5. Lack of implementation of ethical principles and rules in managing the integration of AI into various aspects of society, leading to commercial and geopolitical conflicts and concentration of decision-making power.
6. Limited public discourse and education on the societal impact of AI, as well as a lack of shared terminology and methodology for discussing AI systems and their effects.
7. The need for a shift in the public discourse, greater civic education, and an emphasis on the real and imminent risks posed by AI systems, rather than distant existential risks. It also calls for making AI concepts more relatable and concrete to the general public.
8. A call for collaborative efforts to address ethical challenges and ensure that AI does not perpetuate inequalities and social harms.

There is an urgency of addressing AI ethics issues and calls for a more inclusive and informed approach to developing responsible AI systems.

For the full story: https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/media/article/why-are-we-failing-at-the-ethics-of-ai