Eighth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Does it make sense to speak about the ethics of AI, when it is humans who set the ethical grounds for our artificially “intelligent” machines? Before pondering this, we should underline that in complex human and social systems, a slight variation in one of the smallest parts can have an enormous effect on the entire system. Thus, changes occur from the bottom up in complex (living) systems, unlike man-made systems, whose evolution can be controlled and predicted. Similarly, it is from society’s grassroots that ethics arises, while top-down governance plays a minor role. This cultural question cannot be limited to a purely normative-legal framework but must be supported by social actors who share the conviction that freedom and responsibility are related concepts. A full awareness of the rights and duties of citizenship, acquired through educational processes which stimulate critical, systemic thinking, is essential to any social system. It is of paramount importance to realize that these ethics and morals cannot be imposed but must develop through real-life experiences. In this hypertechnological age, human potential for transforming reality is practically unlimited, hence the deontological ethics of intention – founded on “indisputable” principles – are no longer adequate. We find ourselves in need of an ethics based not on utilitarianist concepts, but of a consequentialist ethics, founded on a rigorous, responsible evaluation of the consequences of our actions. This is even more crucial with respect to AI, considering that, despite all our studies on the matter, we still know so little about it.