The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
It is apparent that the evolution of artificial intelligence has provided many specific benefits to many industries. With the ability to perceive its environment, interpret external data to learn and adapt, and take actions to maximise the success of goals, it is evident that the incorporation of AI technology in business can enhance company development and future growth. However the ability to create thinking machines to think and learn to raise a host of ethical issues.
Inequality.
The economic system is based on compensation for contributing to the economy. By using artificial intelligence, a company can drastically cut down its reliance on the human workforce. Consequently, these companies have the potential to take a larger portion of the economic surplus they create. Therefore, as the wealth gap widens we need to ask how we can create and structure a fair post-labour economy.
Humanity.
Becoming better at modelling human conversation and relationships, as well as forming algorithmic optimisation for content to capture our attention, AI technology has the ability to direct human attention and trigger certain actions. Using this technology to design and develop products to trigger, addict or nudge society towards actions may be seen as an ethical dilemma.
Robot Rights.
As artificial intelligence becomes more complex and life-like; able to perceive, feel and act, some begin to question robots bill of rights. Will we consider the suffering of “feeling” machines? And can a machine have a mind and consciousness in the same way as human beings do?
Unemployment.
Unemployment is most likely going to be the most discussed ethical issue present in society within the next couple of years. Automating jobs means that human jobs will be lost in the process which is going to be a big ethical issue. But what everyone fails to understand is that AI is creating more jobs than it is losing. The key is to get this message across to society to allow everyone to come to terms with AI helping and developing our society.
While we consider these ethical dilemmas concerning artificial intelligence we should also keep in mind the benefits such advancements bring that positively impacts efficiency, the way we live and interact. The main question we must consider is when will artificial intelligence overstep the mark and become too much. Sooner or later artificial intelligence will be involved in some serious ethical discussions and the result of these discussions will be open to us humans willingness to accept these robots into our society.
