I COMPUTE THEREFORE I AM… Ethical AI with and for the people

The surge of Artificial Intelligence in recent years have raised expectations about the transformational power of technologies to change the way we work and live. However, along with significant improvements brought by AI, concerns and fears have started to emerge. Whilst AI algorithms and models are getting more complex, there has understandably been a rise in the call for explainability and, with that, an emerging demand for ethical and responsible AI. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fast becoming a field of intense scrutiny and research interest. In particular, the ethical principles and implications of widespread adoption of AI are currently emerging as research-worthy fields for academia, industry and society at large. In this context, a few projects have been conducted to better understand researchers’ views on AI in their specific field of application. Studies have tried to map and weigh a number of ethical concerns per domain, spanning from safety and security, algorithm bias and data ownership and including a variety of fundamental human rights and concerns regarding socio-economic impact. However, making AI responsible goes beyond the scientific effort, and requires a good understanding of public perception of technology and society’s engagement. This session will draw upon the data collected by surveys and case studies on Ethics of Artificial Intelligence to instigate a debate around the emerging field of Artificial Intelligence Ethics Research, and the needs and requirements desired to build people-centric AI systems. Who should engage in Artificial Intelligence Ethics research? Should a variety of stakeholders be involved in the design phase? Should citizens be involved from onset? The recent success of online MOOCS on AI suggests a large interest from Society to be more engaged with the AI debate.