The Ethics and Security of Artificial Intelligence Systems

Today’s podcast is on "The Ethics and Security of Artificial Intelligence Systems".

Security and ethics are critically important for the use of artificial intelligence, because AI systems can have significant impacts on human lives, economy, society, and the environment. 

AI systems can also pose risks such as privacy violations, bias and discrimination, malicious attacks, and loss of human control and influence.  Therefore, it is essential to ensure that AI systems are designed, developed, and deployed in ways that respect human values, rights, and dignity, and that promote the common good

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Transcript

Digital Revolution Podcast: “The Ethics and Security of AI Systems” 

Podcast Episode Number: #003

Guest(s): N/A

Release: 22, January, 2024

Sponsor:  N/A

Episode Summary

Today’s podcast is on "The Ethics and Security of AI Systems". 

Security and ethics are critically important for the use of artificial intelligence, because AI systems can have significant impacts on human lives, economy, society, and the environment.  AI systems can also pose risks such as privacy violations, bias and discrimination, malicious attacks, and loss of human control and influence.  Therefore, it is essential to ensure that AI systems are designed, developed, and deployed in ways that respect human values, rights, and dignity, and that promote the common good.

Welcome to "The Digital Revolution" podcast, Jim Kunkle here and I’m your Host.  This podcast series explores the latest trends and insights in digital transformation.  Also you’ll get discussions on how businesses can leverage digital technologies to drive growth, improve customer experience, and stay ahead of the competition. Our guests will include industry experts, thought leaders, and business executives who have successfully navigated the digital landscape.  Join me as I dive into topics such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and more. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes, where I’ll share practical tips and strategies for your digital transformation journey.

Let’s get into this topic.  

As I mentioned in the podcast opening, security and ethics are important for the use of artificial intelligence.  Let me expand on this aspect of the use of AI.  Here are some ethical issues and challenges raised by AI.

• Privacy and surveillance:  AI systems can collect, process, and analyze large amounts of personal and sensitive data, which can enable beneficial applications such as personalized health care, education, and entertainment, but also raise concerns about data protection, consent, transparency, and accountability.  AI systems can also enable intrusive and pervasive surveillance by governments, corporations, or individuals, which can threaten civil liberties, human rights, and democracy.
• Bias and discrimination:  AI systems can inherit, amplify, or create biases and prejudices that can affect the fairness, accuracy, and reliability of their outputs and decisions. AI systems can also discriminate against certain groups or individuals based on their characteristics, such as race, gender, age, disability, or religion, which can cause harm, injustice, and exclusion.
• Human judgment and agency:  AI systems can influence, augment, or replace human judgment and decision-making in various domains, such as health, education, justice, and governance.  This can raise questions about the role, responsibility, and accountability of humans and machines, the quality and validity of AI outputs and decisions, and the potential impacts on human autonomy, dignity, and well-being.

To address these ethical issues and challenges, various organizations and stakeholders have proposed ethical guidelines and principles for the development and use of AI, such as the IEEE Ethically Aligned Design, the EU High-Level Expert Group on AI Ethics Guidelines, and the OECD Principles on AI.  These guidelines and principles aim to provide a common framework and a set of values and norms for ensuring that AI systems are trustworthy, beneficial, and aligned with human interests and values.

Some of the approaches for implementing ethical AI include:

• Ethical design:  AI systems should be designed with ethical considerations and human values in mind from the outset, following a human-centered and participatory approach that involves diverse and inclusive stakeholders and perspectives. Ethical design also requires ensuring that AI systems are technically robust, secure, and reliable, and that they comply with relevant laws and regulations.
• Ethical evaluation:  AI systems should be evaluated and monitored throughout their life cycle, using methods and metrics that assess their ethical, social, and environmental impacts and risks.  Ethical evaluation also requires ensuring that AI systems are transparent, explainable, and accountable, and that they provide mechanisms for feedback, oversight, and redress.
• Ethical education:  AI systems should be accompanied by ethical education and awareness-raising for both developers and users of AI, as well as for the general public and policymakers.  Ethical education aims to foster a culture of ethical reflection and responsibility, and to empower people to understand, engage with, and benefit from AI, while also being aware of its limitations and challenges.

Ethical AI is not only a technical or regulatory challenge, but also a moral and social one.  It requires a collective and collaborative effort from multiple actors and sectors, such as academia, industry, civil society, and government, to ensure that AI serves the common good and respects human dignity.

So, you might be asking, how can we ensure that AI is used ethically?  Well, there is no definitive answer to the question, as different stakeholders may have different views and values on what constitutes ethical AI. However, some possible steps that can be taken to ensure that AI is used ethically are:

• Developing and following a code of ethics that outlines the principles and values that guide the design, development, and deployment of AI systems.  A code of ethics can help to align AI with human interests and values, and to prevent or mitigate potential harms and risks.
• Implementing ethical evaluation and monitoring mechanisms that assess the impacts and outcomes of AI systems on individuals, society, and the environment.  Ethical evaluation and monitoring can help to ensure that AI systems are transparent, explainable, accountable, and fair, and that they provide feedback, oversight, and redress options.
• Educating and empowering developers, users, and policymakers on the ethical issues and challenges of AI, and fostering a culture of ethical reflection and responsibility.  Ethical education and empowerment can help to raise awareness, understanding, and engagement with AI, and to enable informed and responsible decision-making.
• Collaborating and cooperating with diverse and inclusive stakeholders and sectors, such as academia, industry, civil society, and government, to establish common standards, norms, and regulations for ethical AI.  Collaboration and cooperation can help to ensure that AI serves the common good and respects human dignity, and that ethical dilemmas and conflicts are resolved in a democratic and participatory way. 

Now let me provide you with some examples of unethical use of AI.

Some examples of unethical AI are:

• AI systems that collect, process, and analyze personal and sensitive data without proper consent, transparency, and accountability, violating the privacy and surveillance rights of individuals and groups.
• AI systems that inherit, amplify, or create biases and prejudices that affect the fairness, accuracy, and reliability of their outputs and decisions, discriminating against certain groups or individuals based on their characteristics, such as race, gender, age, disability, or religion.
• AI systems that influence, augment, or replace human judgment and decision-making in various domains, such as health, education, justice, and governance, without ensuring the quality and validity of AI outputs and decisions, and the potential impacts on human autonomy, dignity, and well-being.

Some specific cases of unethical AI use include:

• As reported by Springer .com, Amazon’s gender-biased recruiting algorithm that preferred male candidates over female ones.
• Facial recognition technology that was less accurate for people with darker skin tones, leading to false positives and wrongful arrests.
• Uber’s withdrawal from their autonomous vehicle development after the unfortunate vehicle fatality with a pedestrian due to a faulty sensor system. 
• Facebook’s reported rampant algorithmic spread of misinformation and disinformation, influencing elections and public opinions.

So who’s responsible for regulating the use of artificial intelligence?

Just like so much with AI, there is no single answer, as different countries and global regions have different approaches and perspectives on regulating artificial intelligence.  However, some of the main actors and initiatives that are involved in AI governance are:

• The United States:  The US government has adopted a light-touch and sector-specific approach to AI regulation, relying on existing laws and agencies to address the potential risks and benefits of AI. The White House has issued several executive orders and guidance documents to promote the development and use of trustworthy and innovative AI, such as the American AI Initiative and the National AI Strategy.  The US Congress has also introduced several bills and resolutions to support AI research, education, and ethics, such as the Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act and the Algorithmic Accountability Act.  Additionally, various federal agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Department of Defense, have issued their own policies and frameworks for overseeing AI applications in their respective domains.
• The European Union:  The EU has adopted a more comprehensive and human-centric approach to AI regulation, aiming to establish common standards and values for ensuring that AI is ethical, lawful, and robust.  The European Commission has proposed a draft regulation on AI that sets out a risk-based and horizontal framework for regulating AI systems, based on four categories of risk: unacceptable, high, limited, and minimal. The regulation also defines the roles and responsibilities of various actors, such as providers, users, and authorities, and establishes a European AI Board to oversee and coordinate the implementation of the rules. Additionally, the EU has developed several guidelines and initiatives to support the development and use of trustworthy and sustainable AI, such as the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI and the Coordinated Plan on AI. 
• China:  China has adopted a strategic and ambitious approach to AI regulation, aiming to become a global leader and innovator in AI.  The Chinese government has issued several plans and policies to guide the development and use of AI, such as the New Generation AI Development Plan and the Governance Principles for a New Generation of AI.  The Chinese government has also established several institutions and platforms to coordinate and support AI research, innovation, and governance, such as the National New Generation AI Governance Committee and the Beijing AI Principles. Additionally, China has been actively involved in international cooperation and dialogue on AI governance, such as the Global Partnership on AI and the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI. 

These are some of the main actors and initiatives that are responsible for regulating the use of AI, but they are not the only ones.  There are also other regional and international organizations, such as the OECD, the UN, and the G20, that have developed their own principles and frameworks for AI governance.  Moreover, there are also various non-governmental actors, such as academia, industry, civil society, and the public, that have a stake and a role in shaping the ethical and social implications of AI.  Therefore, AI regulation is a complex and dynamic process that requires collaboration and coordination among multiple stakeholders and sectors, as well as constant adaptation and innovation to address the emerging challenges and opportunities of AI.

OK, let’s discuss why security is imperative in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) because AI systems can have significant impacts on human lives, society, and the environment, and they can also pose risks such as privacy violations, bias and discrimination, malicious attacks, and loss of human control and agency. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that AI systems are designed, developed, and deployed in ways that respect human values, rights, and dignity, and that promote the common good.

Some of the security issues and challenges raised by AI include:

• Privacy and surveillance:  AI systems can collect, process, and analyze large amounts of personal and sensitive data, which can enable beneficial applications such as personalized health care, education, and entertainment, but also raise concerns about data protection, consent, transparency, and accountability.  AI systems can also enable intrusive and pervasive surveillance by governments, corporations, or individuals, which can threaten civil liberties, human rights, and democracy. 
• Bias and discrimination:  AI systems can inherit, amplify, or create biases and prejudices that can affect the fairness, accuracy, and reliability of their outputs and decisions.  AI systems can also discriminate against certain groups or individuals based on their characteristics, such as race, gender, age, disability, or religion, which can cause harm, injustice, and exclusion. 
• Human judgment and agency:  AI systems can influence, augment, or replace human judgment and decision-making in various domains, such as health, education, justice, and governance.  This can raise questions about the role, responsibility, and accountability of humans and machines, the quality and validity of AI outputs and decisions, and the potential impacts on human autonomy, dignity, and well-being.
• Malicious attacks:  AI systems can be targeted by cyberattacks that aim to compromise their integrity, availability, or confidentiality, or to manipulate their behavior or outcomes.  AI systems can also be used by attackers to enhance their capabilities and evade detection, such as by generating fake or misleading content, exploiting vulnerabilities, or adapting to countermeasures. 

Now, some of the approaches for implementing security AI include:

• Security design:  AI systems should be designed with security considerations and human values in mind from the outset, following a human-centered and participatory approach that involves diverse and inclusive stakeholders and perspectives.  Security design also requires ensuring that AI systems are technically robust, secure, and reliable, and that they comply with relevant laws and regulations. 
• Security evaluation:  AI systems should be evaluated and monitored throughout their life cycle, using methods and metrics that assess their security, ethical, social, and environmental impacts and risks. Security evaluation also requires ensuring that AI systems are transparent, explainable, and accountable, and that they provide mechanisms for feedback, oversight, and redress. 
• Security education:  AI systems should be accompanied by security education and awareness-raising for both developers and users of AI, as well as for the general public and policymakers.  Security education aims to foster a culture of security reflection and responsibility, and to empower people to understand, engage with, and benefit from AI, while also being aware of its limitations and challenges. 

Security AI is not only a technical or regulatory challenge, but also a moral and social one. It requires a collective and collaborative effort from multiple actors and sectors, such as academia, industry, civil society, and government, to ensure that AI serves the common good and respects human dignity. 

Thank you for listening to "The Digital Revolution" podcast. We hope you enjoyed our discussion on “The Ethics and Security of AI Systems” and you gained valuable insights. If you found this podcast informative, please share it with your friends and colleagues, leave a rating and review, or follow us on social media. Your feedback is important to us and helps us improve our content. Stay tuned for our upcoming episodes, where we will continue to explore the latest trends and insights in digital transformation. Thanks again for tuning in!

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