Artificial Intelligence and Its Ethical Challenges

In the era of digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI) is one of its significant parts. AI is substantial for many industries, such as IT, health care, manufacturing, etc. It shows that AI technology is contributing to each sector or industry. It is beneficial to the government as well.

People believe that we should be attentive to the outcome of AI, whether they are beneficial or instead harmful. Attention enables us to avoid and overcome many ethical challenges.

According to Bernard Marr, a best-selling business author, following are some of the main 7 ethical challenges of artificial intelligence that could prove to be roadblocks to certain extents:

• Bias: AI needs data, and we need to try our best to avoid any kind of biases in the data so that it can train the algorithm of the AI. One exact example to explain this challenge is the ImageNet database. It consists of more white face data as compared to the non-white face. Hence, it does not have a correct balance to give authentic results without any bias. As the result will not work for non-white faces, it shows that this database has a preference that will provide inauthentic results, which is wrong. We should enable the databases to avoid these biases as much as possible and produce accurate data for the AI algorithm to detect.
• Takeover and control of humankind: Humans have to make the most dominant decisions, meaning that the AI intervention can only be so little. The most accurate example is the international convention where there is the use of an automatic drone. Now think if an automated drone can launch a missile. Then, there needs to be a human decision involved so that there is not much damage without the human element involved in the decision. The control challenge is quite vital. Another example would be the financial trades these days. AI and its algorithm make 90% of these decisions. There is almost no space for other parties, including humans, where AI is in control. In the case of automatic cars, AI is completely involved. It shows that AI control is such a huge ethical challenge that we need to deal with to avoid damages and issues in the future.
• Privacy of data: Data and AI pose a lot of risks in people’s lives. We must know where this data is coming from, where this data can be used, and by whom. An accurate example of the information and privacy leak risk can be the talking Barbie where your kid is talking to it. Other third parties can use the information fed inside the doll. There is a possibility that your data is being sold to other people. Hence, it shows that data privacy is a huge risk or challenge in the case of AI.
• Power balance: Every megacorporation uses AI, like Amazon, Google, etc. China is a country that focuses on AI strategies quite passionately as the government backs it. It is said that whoever is good at AI has a higher chance of winning the race. So, the most important question arises: how can we bring a balance of power in such a race and competition? Will there be only a few countries ahead and the rest of the world behind? These questions show that we have to ensure that such wealth is distributed equally among the nations.
• Ownership: Another major challenge of AI is about the one who will take ownership of all the things that are made through AI. People often use AI for the wrong purposes, like fake images, fake text, videos, etc. Then, who will be responsible if such fake things and fake news spread all across the internet? People also use AI for creating music and other arts. In such a situation, intellectual property rights might create a huge debate. Hence, ownership is the most significant concern in the AI trends and world.
• Environmental impacts: People assume that whatever we are doing on our devices and computers does not have any environmental impact. These companies and cloud infrastructure consume a lot of power. AI training creates 17 times more carbon emissions than the average American in a year.  How can we use this power generation to benefit the world and its issues? We should reconsider our priorities regarding AI and environmental safety.
• Inferiority complex: With AI’s power and efficiency, how can we act like a human with such speed and automation? Such superiority makes us feel isolated and disconnected from our essence and power. The increasing automation and AI are almost trying to replace us humans. But we hope it cannot replace us. How can we be beneficial as humans to become irreplaceable in such times? We must try our best to keep ourselves updated with new trends and technologies to work side by side with the latest machines and software. It will enable us to swiftly transit towards the AI world without getting redundant.

Implementing ethics to AI requires eliminating biases, mending the inferiority complexes in humans regarding the AI, creating a balance among the power, having clarity on the ownership and other such matters will improve the AI and its ethical practices in the industry.