We have a responsibility to develop ethical AI

A year ago, we were developing “Ethics in Artificial Intelligence” programs for a computer science program for teenagers. This workshop was designed to be able to discuss the dangers of artificial intelligence and how to ensure we build ethical technology products.

The world at large has already experienced 5 months of ChatGPT on the market. We were seeing many of our talented and diverse colleagues begin to be laid off in tech. Companies were trying to quickly rewrite their entire business strategy to compete with OpenAI. When you work in technology and a competitor introduces a new game-changing technology product, you’re reminded of the term “pivot” again.

The Ethics in AI workshop we were developing was inspired by Dr. Timnit Gebru and Dr. Joy Buolamwini and included their contributions to the field of AI.

Dr. Gebru is an Ethiopian-born Eritrean computer scientist working in the fields of AI, algorithmic bias, and data mining. She is an advocate for diversity in technology and co-founder of Black in AI, a community of researchers of color working in AI. She is also the founder of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR).

Dr. Buolamwini is a Canadian-American computer scientist and digital activist who founded the Algorithmic Justice League (AJL). AJL works to challenge bias in decision-making software, using art, advocacy and research to highlight the social implications and harms of artificial intelligence.

Both of these incredible leaders are effectively speaking in terms of addressing the elephant in the room when it comes to AI. They also had to suffer repercussions for speaking out against the abuse of unethical AI.

And now, US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is working on the DEFIANCE Act, which would be the first federal protections for survivors of deepfake pornography. This type of legislation needs to be implemented as soon as possible to keep up with the technological evolution of these elusive tools.

Women bear most of the abuse that happens in technology. When it comes to deepfake images, when it comes to location trackers and harassment, when it comes to other forms of abuse, we tend to underestimate the seriousness of each of these violations. Women deserve privacy, safety and confidence when it comes to implementing any type of technological tool. Trust must be one of the most key issues that companies address when moving forward with these new types of risky projects.

If we don’t have the right mix of people at the table making decisions about how to implement these kinds of tools and algorithms, then we’ll be in danger of repeating the same mistakes we’ve made when developing other apps with enough influence to convert millions of voters.

In conclusion, the emergence of advanced AI technologies such as ChatGPT has highlighted the urgent need for ethical considerations and diversity in technology. As the tech industry evolves and legislation like the DEFIANCE Act (in the US and hopefully soon in Canada), prioritizing ethical development and inclusive decision-making is crucial to ensuring that technology serves all of humanity fairly and responsibly.