How five principles can provide the ethical framework needed to support AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a very powerful and growing reservoir of capabilities that can be used to tackle a boundless number of problems, from biotechnologies to cybersecurity and smart cities to health care. As such, AI is having a major impact on our lives. How can we ensure that its effects will be beneficial and felt by the largest number of people?
To address this question, a wide range of initiatives have sought to establish ethical principles for the adoption of socially beneficial AI. What our societies all over the world need is a shared and applicable ethical framework, to develop AI policies, regulations, technical standards, and business best practices that are environmentally sustainable and socially preferable.
Of course, such shared frameworks don’t guarantee success. Mistakes and illegal behaviour continue to happen. But their availability means having a clear idea of what ought to be done, and how to evaluate competing solutions. Without an ethical framework, “better safe than sorry” becomes the only guiding rule, excessive caution overrides innovation, and we all lose out.
The good news is that we have the basis for agreement. Last year the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence in their Report “AI in the UK: Ready Willing And Able?” suggested the adoption of a cross sector code of 5 principles.
More recently, work at the European level, completed by the AI4People project and currently carried on by the High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) on Artificial Intelligence of the European Commission has led to the adoption of five similar fundamental principles that can provide the ethical framework needed to support future efforts to create socially good AI across the European Union.
First, AI must the beneficial to humanity. It is essential to stress that AI must promote well-being, preserve dignity, and sustain our planet. The second principle is that AI must also not infringe on privacy or undermine security. Third, AI must protect and enhance our autonomy and ability to take decisions and choose between alternatives. AI must be our servant not our master. The fourth principle concerns justice or fairness. AI must promote prosperity and solidarity, in a fight against inequality, discrimination, and unfairness. Innovation should be inclusive and promote diversity as well as tolerance. Finally, we cannot achieve all this unless we have AI systems that are understandable in terms of how they work (transparency) and explainable in terms of how and why they reach the conclusions they do (accountability).
