introduction

Since the beginning of time, humans have always optimized processes and automated them to make tasks more efficient, improving quality of life. However, what happens when automation has the ability to make us question our very understanding of what makes us human?

<aside> 🌟 “When we speak of ethical issues of AI, there tends to be an implicit assumption that we are speaking of morally bad things. And, of course, most of the AI debate revolves around such morally problematic outcomes that need to be addressed. However, it is worth highlighting that AI promises numerous benefits.” - Bernd Stahl, 2021

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how can AI be good?

“AI is not an end in itself, but rather a promising means to increase human flourishing, thereby enhancing individual and societal well being and the common good, as well as bringing progress and innovation” (EU, 2019).

• Ability to analyze quantities and sources of data that humans could not even begin to process
  • Link data, find patterns, and yield outcomes
  • Leading a better understanding and deeper insights
• Higher levels of efficiency and productivity
  • Free humans from tedious and repetitive tasks
  • however, AI has the power to replace jobs
• AI to “accelerate the UN sustainable development goals”
  • Health
  • Mobility
  • Construction
  • Earth observation
• The challenge for AI is to define what is ethically good and in the interest of humans

Conduction to human flourishing

how can AI be bad?

Societal and political decisions on how to optimally utilize large socio-technical systems, such as AI

• Cost to innovation
  • Should we really be spending money on this when there are more pressing problems?
  • Gives massive economic benefit and power to organizations that have access to those types of large computing resources and data (discrimination)
• Disappearance of jobs
  • In the next 2 decades, it is predicted that half of the jobs will be replaced by automated systems
• Potential for military or malicious use
  • AI might be programmed to do something beneficial, but the method in which is achieves this might be destructive
• Bias
  • Data sets that are being used for machine learning

Metaphysical issues

Those relating to our sense of morality, nature of being, and how we have interpreted this; we cannot assign a moral status to AI

• “Awakening” of AI
  • AI will be optimized to the point where it will not just be good at doing cognitive tasks, but may over time develop a sense of awareness of consciousness
  • Will we share the same societal goals as AI?
  • Could we hold AI morally responsible for their actions, or would that responsibility fall on their creators?
  • These questions begin to approach the ideas of what we as the human race define as acceptable in accordance with our own standards of conduct and where must we draw the boundaries between us and AI