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Developing Codes of Ethics Amidst Fast Technological Change

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Towards a Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

As with other technologies, one of the tasks facing those concerned with AI is how to develop codes of ethics in the face of rapid and perhaps unpredictable technological change. We need to consider carefully what methodology we use in considering ethical questions: abstract principles and accounts of virtue based on the past may or may not be appropriate, and a consequentialism which assumes the assessment of harms and benefit may likewise be of scant use where social and technological change makes the identification of benefit difficult. Close attention to context and complexity will be needed. Technological change and social change are closely intertwined, and may impact on many of our key value concepts, including those which may not at first sight be carriers of social and cultural value; in considering AI, we must watch out for such effects. The complexity of the question of technological changes brought by AI is illustrated by briefly considering the impact of AI on employment and by asking questions about the value and meaning of work. Technological changes are likely to have global impact in at least some cases, and the implications of this for how we think about universal values such as human rights , for relativism, and for cultural diversity are briefly considered. Lastly, as one solution to the complex task of developing ethical guidance for AI, a proposal is to ensure diverse participation in discussions; what is meant by ‘diversity ’ in this context, and why it is essential especially for AI, is discussed with reference to some recent research findings.

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  1. Dept of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Paula Boddington

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  1. Paula Boddington
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Boddington, P. (2017). Developing Codes of Ethics Amidst Fast Technological Change. In: Towards a Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence: Foundations, Theory, and Algorithms. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60648-4_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60648-4_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60647-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60648-4

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