Our goal shouldn’t be to build merely ‘trustworthy’ AI
Mariarosaria Taddeo, Deputy Director of the Oxford Internet Institute’s Digital Ethics Lab, explains why AI ethics must be a continuous practice
The impact of ethical guidelines
In recent years, a growing number of organizations have published ethical guidelines on the use of AI. But these need to be constantly reassessed as technology and society evolve.
“This is because both technologies and societies change, and these changes may pose new ethical risks or new ethical questions that need to be addressed,” said Taddeo. “Ethics — especially digital ethics — should be seen more as a practice than as a thing.”
One of the principles most frequently included in ethical guidelines for artificial intelligence is “trustworthy AI.” But Taddeo says the term is a misnomer:
Taddeo believes theOECD Principles on Artificial Intelligenceare very good in this respect, as they refer to the need for continuous monitoring of the systems. This can ensure that AI systems continue to behave as expected throughout their deployment.
But ethically good uses of AI will not only be determined by written guidelines. They will also depend on our vision for the society we wish to build.
“So when considering how to use AI as a force of good, we should also ask the question as to what kind of societies we want to develop using this technology,” explained Taddeo.
Taddeo draws a parallel to a famous Winston Churchill quote: “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”
“This is even more true when considering digital technologies,” she said. “We shape AI and then AI returns to give shape to us. The question is what kind of shape we want to take and how we can use AI to take us there.”
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Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.
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