Exploring General and Specific Ethical Challenges of Artificial Intelligence and Proposing Mitigation Strategies
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science aimed at instilling human-like thinking in machines. With the rapid advancement of AI capabilities over the past decade, numerous ethical challenges have emerged. AI-powered services must operate in a manner that upholds human ethical standards and avoids creating widespread social disruptions. Consequently, researchers from various disciplines—including ethicists—have recognized the undeniable necessity of developing ethical and safe intelligent systems. However, discussions surrounding the ethical challenges of AI are still in their infancy and require deep and fundamental reflection on human moral values and the role of AI in human life.
In this article you read about:
General Ethical Challenges of Artificial Intelligence
- The need for AI to replicate emotions for ethical decision-making.
- The risk of AI being misused by malicious actors.
- The debate between weak AI (tools) and strong AI (human-like cognition), raising concerns about the nature of intelligence.
Ethical Challenges of AI in Specific Areas
- AI in Military: Autonomous military robots raise ethical issues, especially around making decisions about lethal force without human oversight.
- AI in Decision-Making: AI systems may introduce errors or biases in large-scale decisions, with the potential for dangerous consequences.
- AI and Economic Justice: As AI reduces human labor, it could lead to more wealth concentration, raising concerns about fair profit distribution.
Solutions to Address Ethical Challenges
Societies should establish clear ethical positions early on and continuously update them to address current and future challenges posed by intelligent systems. The framework for evaluating and developing AI should be comprehensive, dynamic, and flexible, rooted in deep philosophical and anthropological principles that may need revisiting over time.
This study was conducted at Fahm ThinkTank in collaboration with Saeedeh Babaei and Faezeh Norouzi in 2021.
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