We find ourselves in a digital age, where AI is constantly transforming our reality. From autonomous vehicles to systems suggesting our daily decisions – AI is everywhere. But have we considered the ethical aspects of these modern technologies? Are our regulations fast enough to keep up with technological development?
AI is a powerful tool with the potential to bring many benefits to society. From diagnosing diseases, optimizing transport systems, to predicting future market trends. But such power comes with responsibility. How do we ensure that AI is used ethically and responsibly?
Ethics in the context of AI is not an easy issue. It involves many issues such as data privacy, fairness, and accountability. Should AI algorithms make decisions that significantly impact people’s lives, such as job or credit decisions? Who is responsible when AI makes a mistake?
Regulations are necessary to manage these problems. They must ensure that technology is used ethically and legally. But developing effective regulations in such a rapidly developing area is a challenge.
AI technology is developing at a dizzying pace. Different types of AI may require different regulations. Autonomous vehicle regulations may differ significantly from recommendation system regulations.
An additional problem is that AI technology is global, while regulations are usually national. How can we create effective regulations that will apply worldwide? How can we ensure that all countries adhere to these regulations?
Are our current regulations keeping pace with technological progress? It’s a complex question. In some areas, such as data privacy, we’ve certainly made great strides. But in other areas, like autonomous vehicles or recommendation systems, there’s still a lot to do.
Additionally, even with effective regulations, we must continue to ponder the ethical consequences of AI. Regulations are just part of responsible technology. We also need to think about how to design systems to be fair to all users.
Despite these challenges, we see progress towards more ethical and responsible use of AI. For example, since the beginning of 2023, Local Law 144 (LL 144) is in effect in New York, requiring employers using automated decision tools in recruitment and advancement processes to conduct bias audits and provide information about audit results and any AI automated tools used. Other countries and states, both in the United States and worldwide, are proposing laws aimed at addressing the issue of AI use in the context of employment and the risk of unfairness in recruitment practices.
In Canada, Bill C-27 was introduced, aimed at strengthening privacy protection, setting new rules for proper development and implementation of AI, and promoting the Canadian Digital Charter. The Act introduces new rules aimed at increasing Canadians’ trust in AI systems, including protecting citizens by ensuring that high-impact AI systems are developed and implemented in a way that identifies, assesses, and minimizes the risk of harm and bias. The Act also provides for the establishment of an AI and Data Commissioner, aimed at supporting the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry in fulfilling ministerial duties under the Act.
2023 may be a turning point where we begin to see significant acceleration towards stronger control and regulation of AI. A major challenge, however, is how these new laws will be regulated and what structures and new regulatory bodies will need to be created to support them.
This leads to a series of inevitable questions that must be carefully considered in order to effectively manage AI:
1.) Who will be qualified to conduct bias audits and how will they be certified? 2.) How often should these audits be conducted – quarterly, annually, or at another interval? 3.) How will the disclosure of information be implemented and to whom will this information be disseminated? 4.) What are the new legal risks associated with disclosure and how will it affect liability insurance? 5.) Will board members require a new type of insurance focused on AI practices? If so, what would be the appropriate terms for such legal protection? 6.) How will we develop software creation practices to ensure that designers, programmers, and implementers of automated systems take proactive and continuous action to protect individuals and communities from algorithmic discrimination and design systems in a fair manner, respecting our decisions regarding the collection, use, access, transfer, and deletion of our data?
In summary, ethics in the era of AI is a complex issue that requires both consideration of the ethical implications of AI and the creation of regulations that can ensure responsible and ethical use of this technology. Although our regulations are starting to keep up with technological progress, there is still much work ahead of us. We must continue to develop and adjust our regulations to keep up with the relentless progress in the field of AI. We also need to consider what these regulations will look like in practice and how they may impact various aspects of society. All this is necessary to ensure that AI serves the welfare of all people.
