Blind spots in AI ethics

Abstract

This paper critically discusses blind spots in AI ethics. AI ethics discourses typically stick to a certain set of topics concerning principles evolving mainly around explainability, fairness, and privacy. All these principles can be framed in a way that enables their operationalization by technical means. However, this requires stripping down the multidimensionality of very complex social constructs to something that is idealized, measurable, and calculable. Consequently, rather conservative, mainstream notions of the mentioned principles are conveyed, whereas critical research, alternative perspectives, and non-ideal approaches are largely neglected. Hence, one part of the paper considers specific blind spots regarding the very topics AI ethics focusses on. The other part, then, critically discusses blind spots regarding to topics that hold significant ethical importance but are hardly or not discussed at all in AI ethics. Here, the paper focuses on negative externalities of AI systems, exemplarily discussing the casualization of clickwork, AI ethics’ strict anthropocentrism, and AI’s environmental impact. Ultimately, the paper is intended to be a critical commentary on the ongoing development of the field of AI ethics. It makes the case for a rediscovery of the strength of ethics in the AI field, namely its sensitivity to suffering and harms that are caused by and connected to AI technologies.

Confronting Power and Corporate Capture at the FAccT Conference

“…FAccT must also respond to contemporary and historical struggles against oppression by engaging in critical reflection and by re-centering its organizing principles and work [15,17,34,70] toward political action [27,48,65], resistance [30,68], and justice [14]. Venues such as FAccT would better serve the aims of AI ethics by embracing an "agonistic" approach to discourse, both within its research subjects and in its organizing principles.…”

“…This workshop accepted contributions in a variety of formats and languages, from an infographic, 25 to a poem, 26 to a comic, 27 to speculative fiction, 28 to sound art, 29 and an illustrated parody 30 of Google-sponsored research.…”

A Virtue-Based Framework to Support Putting AI Ethics into Practice

“…Basically, deviations from codes of ethics have no or very minor consequences. Moreover, even when AI applications fulfill all ethical requirements stipulated, it does not necessarily mean that the application itself is "ethically approved" when used in the wrong contexts or when developed by organizations that follow unethical intentions (Hagendorff, 2021a;Lauer, 2020). In addition to that, ethics can be used for marketing purposes (Floridi, 2019;Wagner, 2018).…”

Extending Design Thinking, Content Strategy, and Artificial Intelligence into Technical Communication and User Experience Design Programs: Further Pedagogical Implications

“…Recent work discusses that AI should encompass the missing virtues of justice , honesty , responsibility , and care which resonate with technical communicators and can help create more virtuous AI for different users (Hagendorff, 2020). TPC scholars are already demonstrating how these virtues can be refocused in our programs.…”