Even if we do not realise it, we are interacting with Artificial Intelligence, or AI, every day, and although it may be making our lives more efficient and productive, there are several ethics issues that ought to be considered. With Gratiana Fu, of DAI, we discuss many of these issues, including: Why are we delegating critical decisions to machines? Who is responsible for AI, when it makes mistakes? Is there privacy in an AI world? And, how do we stay in control of a complex intelligent system?

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and on Stitcher!

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a rapidly growing area of the tech. According to Investopedia, AI “refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The term may also be applied to any machine that exhibits traits associated with a human mind such as learning and problem-solving.” In order to do so, complex algorithms must be developed, which synthesises considerable volumes of data through which, and among other things, these machines learn, reason, perceive, find patterns and solve problems.

Although it is still early days in AI, the technology has already been deployed in a number of everyday situations and applications, with which we interact, including:

  • Smart assistants, such as Google, Siri, Alexa
  • Social media, such as to decide what posts are seen in your news feed, identifying hate speech and terroristic language, and image recognition in photographs
  • Maps and navigation, e.g. Google Maps or Apple Maps
  • Facial recognition and detection, such as to unlock your phone
  • Chatbots, that respond to frequently asked questions, take and track orders, and direct enquiries
  • Recommendations and searches.

The above examples might be considered ways in which AI has enriched our lives, and in some instances, have improved productivity. Moreover, AI is being in used a variety of other areas and applications, including healthcare, banking and finance, and even the development space, and some concerns have been emerging, especially in relation to the reliance that is being placed on the AI-generated results, how those results are being generated, and even the source data that is being used to train the machines.

It is thus through this lens we are continuing our conversation on Ai, with a specific focus on the ethics of AI. We have all had experiences in which the recommendation made by the AI-driven system was erroneous, be it irrelevant recommendations, inaccurate navigation information, difficulties unlocking your phone, to name just a few. Although these occurrences might be brief moments of frustration, how would you feel if AI is used to select suitable candidates for a job, or by your bank to decide whether you should get a loan or credit card, or if you are stopped by airport security?

To be clear, AI is already being used in these scenarios, which is why we, the ordinary citizen and consumer, need to start paying more attention.

 

Gratiana Fu

Introducing our guest

Gratiana Fu is a Data Scientist for DAI’s Center for Digital Acceleration and currently supports efforts across the organisation to collect, manage, analyse, and use high quality data to inform decision-making. She designs machine learning algorithms, leverages natural language processing techniques, and spearheads DAI’s work in ethical AI to support donor-funded projects around the globe.

Most recently, she published a paper interrogating the ethical use of AI for development issues, titled Toward Ethical AI in International Development.

 

 

Insights into our conversation

Based on earlier conversation we have had on AI here on the podcast, the issues surrounding the ethics of AI can have a direct impact on the lives and livelihood of the Average Joe and Jane. Further, and in a world that seeks to foster greater inclusion, the elimination of bias, and narrowing of divide between ‘the haves’ and ‘the have nots’, almost paradoxically, AI can inherently exacerbate these issues.

It is for this reason that the conversation with Gratiana was especially illuminating. Further, and since her paper focuses on the use of AI for development issues, she is aware of challenges that are being experienced by Lower and Middle Income Countries, such as those in the Caribbean region, when AI is used in the development aid provided.

Below are some of the questions posed to Gratiana during our conversation

  1. To start us off, how would you explain the term, ‘ethics of AI’? And why do you think that it is important?
  2. You recently wrote a paper on ethical AI. What was the impetus for preparing that paper?
  3. Let us discuss some of the ethical issues:
    1. Why are we delegating critical decisions to machines?
    2. Who is responsible for AI, when it makes mistakes?
    3. Is there privacy in an AI world?
    4. How do we stay in control of a complex intelligent system?
  4. On 24 November 2021, the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence was adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference at its 41st session. What does the Recommendation hope to achieve?
  5. What are some of the key recommendations or principles that were set out in that document?
  6. The Recommendation is to be adopted/implemented by countries on a voluntary basis, but how does UNESCO envisage countries will enforce principles in the Recommendation?
  7. What are some of the AI-related ethical dilemmas that are of particular concern?

 

We would love to hear from you!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Images credit: G Fu;  Wikimedia Commons;  Gerd Altmann (Pixabay); Daniel Kulinski (flickr);  Gerd Altmann (Pixabay)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez