Ethics of Autonomous Systems

Ethics

• Morality encompasses opinions, decisions, and actions reflecting societal values and principles.
• Ethics systematically examines moral ideas, exploring arguments about moral choices without fixed rules.
• Arguments are statements intended to defend or reject a viewpoint, composed of premises (A1, A2) leading to a conclusion (B).

Branches of Ethics

• Descriptive ethics describes existing morality (customs, beliefs, behavior).
• Normative ethics judges morality and suggests actions.

Types of Judgments

• Descriptive judgments describe reality (past, present, future) and are either true or false.
• Normative judgments evaluate what should be (e.g., “Taking bribes is wrong”), regarding desirability or undesirability.

Values and Norms

• Values represent core beliefs about what's important.
• Intrinsic values have value in themselves (e.g. honesty).
• Instrumental values are useful for achieving something else (e.g. a study guide is instrumental to getting good grades).
• Norms are rules that determine acceptable actions to uphold values. For instance, a norm is to not lie if honesty is valued.

Ethical Theories

• Deontological ethics focuses on duties and rules (e.g., Kant’s categorical imperative)
• Consequentialist ethics evaluates actions based on outcomes (e.g., utilitarianism).
• Virtue ethics focuses on desirable character traits (e.g., Aristotle’s virtue ethics).

AI Ethics

• AI ethics examines how AI impacts people and society, considering both the technology and how humans interact with it
• The behavior of humans when designing and utilizing AI, and the moral responsibilities of AI systems
• AI systems function as a mirror for human ethical reflection, demonstrating societal morality.
• Agents that act intelligently in complex environments are considered "intelligent" if they can adapt, learn from experience.
• AI systems may be considered "artifacts” with specific purposes; these include both physical (hardware) and functional aspects.

Human-Technology Relations

• Embodiment relations: Technology becomes an extension of the human body, blurring the line between human and technology.
• Hermeneutic relations: Technology acts as a lens through which we interpret the world.
• Alterity relations: Technology is viewed as separate “other” that can initiate independent actions and have consequences.
• Background relations: Technology operates unnoticed until it requires intervention or malfunction, influencing behavior without being the focus of attention.

Mediation Theory

• Technology acts as a mediator between humans and the world.
• Technology shapes human behavior, perception, and understanding of reality.
• Technologies are not neutral tools, but they are part of our interactions and experiences, actively shaping our relationships.

Cyborg Relations

• Cyborg relationships suggest a fusion between humans and technology, where the boundaries blur.
• Examples include brain implants and highly advanced sensory augmentation.

Immersion Relations

• In immersion relations, technology is deeply embedded within the environment, creating an interactive environment that shapes human activities.

Multistability

• Multistability refers to how a technology can be used and understood in various ways depending on context, user, and purpose.
• This adaptability shapes the meaning and function of the technology.

Verbeek’s Philosophy of Mediation

• Technology actively co-shapes human experience and actions.
• Technologies embody meaning and intentionality, going beyond passive tools.

AI as Moral Agents

• What moral capacities does AI have, or should it have? This relates to the concept of moral agency—the capacity to make moral judgments and be accountable for actions.
• How should we treat AI? This relates to moral patiency—our ethical responsibility towards AI as a recipient of moral concern.
• Different types of AI agents exist: ethical-impact, implicit ethical, explicit ethical, and full agents, with varying degrees of capability.

The Debate on AI as Moral Agents

• AI systems cannot have the same moral agency as humans because they lack intentionality, freedom, and consciousness.
• Responsibility for AI actions lies with the humans who create, design, and use the system.
• Instead of assuming that AI acts independently, human responsibility for AI use should be considered, especially given how AI can manipulate individuals or shape societal values through interaction with technology.

AI and the Labor Market

• Automation across various sectors is transforming the labor market, with concerns about job displacement and a potential for skill gaps.
• Technologies do not necessarily destroy jobs permanently; new roles are created around the development, operation, and maintenance of technologies, requiring new and adaptable skills.
• The impact of new technologies on economies and social structures can be complicated and involve many diverse challenges, such as job displacement, skill obsolescence, or the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
• Automation and labor relations raise critical ethical concerns, particularly regarding fairness, equal opportunity, and the distribution of benefits and burdens.

AI and Political Processes

• Concerns about algorithmic manipulation and misinformation spreading affect democratic processes.
• The potential for disinformation and manipulation through AI raises important issues about the integrity of information and the future of trust in democratic institutions.
• Misinformation and malicious use of technology can negatively affect societal trust and the health of democracy.

Privacy Concerns

• Concerns related to privacy in an era of advanced data collection and analysis are heightened by the rapid advancements in technology.
• Personal data is increasingly collected by companies and government agencies. This information may be misused, causing harm to individuals or society.
• Issues relating to the ethical implications of data collection and analysis are crucial to ensure privacy and data security.

AI and the Digital Divide

• The uneven distribution of access to digital technologies creates a gap between individuals and communities with unequal levels of digital literacy, making some populations vulnerable.
• This disparity limits participation in democratic communities and economic activities in areas with limited access to technology, widening inequities and contributing to a lack of fairness.

This quiz explores the ethical concerns and accountability issues regarding autonomous systems, including self-driving cars and care robots. It examines concepts like responsibility gaps, user understanding, and Aristotle's ideas on responsibility. Test your knowledge on the moral implications of advanced technology and its challenges.