Ethical Use of AI
This is a short guide on the ethical use of AI.
Part of becoming a leader and power user of AI at your organization, is learning more about the ethical questions that underlie these tools. More broadly, as we integrate AI more deeply into our workspaces and societies, understanding its ethical implications is essential for minimizing harm and enhancing the benefits these technologies offer.
First, let us discuss one of AI's most widespread liabilities, bias. The technologies underlying generative AI rely on massive amounts of data, which the model learns from and uses to generate its output and like an old saying from computer science goes; garbage in, garbage out. If there are systemic biases present in the training data of these models, they will be passed into the model's behavior as it learns them.
This can lead to discriminatory outcomes. For example, the Dutch childcare benefits scandal of 2005-2019, a stark example from the Netherlands, illustrated how bias in AI algorithm design and data can lead to severe societal repercussions. Authorities using AI-driven decisions wrongly accused an estimated 26000 families of fraud, demanding repayments and plunging many into financial distress.
These outcomes were partly due to the system's inherent bias against families with mixed or non-Dutch heritage. It is vital to be vigilant against biased outputs of AI models. Inspect the AI's outputs carefully for any generalizations about groups of people or stereotyped assumptions about human behavior.
Privacy is another significant ethical concern. When you send customer information through AI tools like ChatGPT, that data may be stored on external servers, posing a risk to privacy. To respect the privacy of your co-workers, clients, and anyone else affected by your work with an AI, be careful to scrub any prompts to the model of personally identifiable information.
Additionally, AI can inadvertently plagiarize its training data in its outputs, which require users to verify the originality of AI-generated content rigorously. A simple check, like searching snippets of AI text online, can prevent plagiarism and maintain content integrity.
Ethical use of AI is not just about preventing harm, but also about fostering trust and enhancing the effectiveness of AI technologies in our daily lives. By adhering to principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability, we ensure that AI serves as a beneficial tool in our increasingly digital world.