Written by Adhvik Vakulabharanam, January 25th, 2025
Recently, my friend created an organization called NextGenNav (you should check it out). This youth social enterprise aims to educate the youth about ethics in regards to artificial intelligence and technology systems in general. When I asked him as to why he decided to create this organization, he instead asked me a question that substantiated his belief: “If tech systems are becoming so popular, shouldn’t the youth know how to properly use it?”
AI and technology systems have become increasingly popular over time, but there prevalence begs a question about ethics. I talk about artificial intelligence a lot, but it’s time we address a perspective on morality and ethics, as those ideals shape the way our society behaves.
What Defines AI Ethics?
AI ethics, by definition, is the study and application of ethical principles, values, and rules in regards to the development, deployment, and usage of new artificial intelligence technology. Typically, this discipline involves studying the moral and societal implications that can occur when using AI systems, thus embodying a vision where developed AI programs are used responsibly.
Several countries have already implemented ethical guidelines and principles for AI ethics. The European Union, for one, introduced a framework for AI ethics that follows eight principles: human agency and oversight, technical robustness and safety, privacy and data governance, transparency, diversity, non-discrimination and fairness, societal and environmental well-being, and accountability.
Japan has additionally followed suit, focusing on education and literacy, privacy protection, fair competition, and essentially equality and fairness with the use of AI systems. Ethics play a pivotal role in shaping the regulatory template in AI usage, and currently, several governments across the globe are discussing about incorporating AI ethics into existing laws, demonstrating more shared efforts to bolster responsibility with AI usage.
What Forces Are Supporting This Idea?
Aside from countries, there are specific organizations that support the idea of AI ethics. I already mentioned NextGenNav, but there are other organizations we should be on the lookout for.
- Berkeley AI Safety Institute: This institute is a community of students dedicated to building transparent and ethical artificial intelligence networks, ensuring that compliance is met with AI technology. They have had a huge impact on youth, specifically from high schools and colleges, as this organizations has focused on educating the youth about proper ways to use AI. This initiative has had a huge impact in the United States, reaching to many states nationwide.
- Center for the Governance of AI: This organization is housed at the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford. The center’s director, Allan Dafoe, elaborated on a report that covers an agenda for shedding light on the risks of AI and prioritizing ethical approaches towards addressing those risks. This organization aims to provide policy guidance in ensuring that the development of AI is beneficial for societal and collective improvement.
- MIT Media Lab: The MIT Media Lab is an anchor and proponent of ethics in AI, providing support for the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Fund. Through their initiatives like the Algorithmic Decision Making and Governance In the Age of AI Project, this lab actively engages in pilot projects oriented to beneficial impacts that catalyze using AI for the public good.
- Ethics of AI Lab: The Ethics of AI Lab at the University of Toronto runs a workshop series called Ethics of AI In Context. The lab additionally runs a graduate course of the same name, involving speakers from a range of academic disciplines, characterizing the lab as an interdisciplinary program. The initiatives this lab has ensure that AI ethics reaches a wide audience.
- Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute: This initiative is hosted at Stanford University, where it addresses the need for AI developers to reflect on gender, race, ethnicity, age, and how AI can be implemented to altruistically improve those aspects and reduce inequalities imposed by cultural divides people continuously employ in their daily lives.
Because the youth is the primary generation that becomes exposed to the advancement of AI, it is important to specifically target that group to ensure that ethics is properly addressed. Organizations like NextGenNav and the MIT Media Lab help make this vision a reality.
What Can We Do For The Future?
How can we ensure that these systems keep going? How can we ensure that these ethical frameworks are consistently prevalent in our daily lives. Well, like my friend said: “the answer starts with education, then moves into application.” It’s important we actually take some time to first learn about what’s going on around us, then brainstorming ways to implemented those teachings into our everyday lives. Teaching can happen, and we can learn from that, but the real test comes with applying those lessons.
This sounds ordinary, but it’s true, and it’s something we continuously struggle with, whether it be specifically AI related or general tasks that we do. But it’s important that we keep this information into account, and by doing so, we can create our own victories, where we push for solutions to challenges affecting us today.Written by Adhvik Vakulabharanam, January 30th, 2025
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