Abstract
There are numerous connections between the principles of Integral Human Development (IHD) and universal design (also known as inclusive design) that make these concepts important reference points for those studying and developing artificial intelligence (AI) today. Although rooted in different schools of thought – Catholic social teaching and product/environmental design, respectively – both concepts emphasize the equal dignity of all persons; that this dignity has both subjective and social dimensions; and that a concern for the technologies used to support human flourishing has been a longstanding objective and not simply a modern invention. For students and professors working with AI these concepts merit serious reflection given the myriad ways in which AI has, and will have, an almost incalculable impact on the quality of human life. The objective of this paper is to reflect on the intersections between AI development and ethics education across universities in the ‘future-forward’, AI-intensive society of the United Arab Emirates. Likewise, this paper considers the prospect of using a framework based on universal/inclusive-design and IHD perspectives in AI ethics and education. The conclusion reached thus far is that, given the UAE’s self-description as a ‘future-forward’, society which endeavors to benefit all of its citizens through the development and implementation of AI-powered services, an approach to ethics and engineering education should be embraced which centers on universal-design and IHD principles with their inherent recognition of human dignity and their advocacy of technologies which support it.
Presenters
Sandra AlexanderAssistant Professor of Humanities, School of Arts and Sciences, American University in Dubai, Dubayy, United Arab Emirates
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Ethics, Education, Frameworks, AI, Universal Design, Integral Human Development
