AI ethics and values

As expected, the jokes are pouring in. When a topic is hot and trending, you would expect jokes and funny quips to come, and nothing is hotter and trendier than Artificial Intelligence. Here they are:

• Artificial Intelligence is really taking over our jobs, man. Just today, I asked Siri to change the TV channel and it ended up calling my mother. Siri has now replaced my partially deaf grandma.

• Why is artificial intelligence in movies always female?

Answer: Because they’re never wrong

And as corny as this one is (my kids might call it “daddy jokes”), it is my favorite:

I told my wife, “Did you know Artificial Intelligence has taken over Old McDonald’s farm?”

Wife: AI?

Me: AI.

Wife: Oh.

In my public leadership seminar last month, which more than 600 people attended, I talked a little bit about AI, not from the technical vantage point, for I am not an expert in it, but from the perspective of a user and how it will affect businesses, careers and productivity. Then, two days later, I discovered that GPT 4.0 was rolled out and it included the ability to speak – instead of just type – with the interface. The voice assistant provided a first glimpse of an AI personality that could become our little employee, co-worker and friend. This is how fast tech develops and evolves. One barely has time to get through the learning curve when another piece of development necessitates another round of learning.

As I was always fascinated and desirous of being an early adopter, I immediately upgraded my subscription to Chat GPT 4.0 and was blown away by its features. From this discovery, I would not be unreasonable in suspecting that the next technological revolution will involve AI agents that will be integrated into every aspect of our lives. However, there is a significant drawback. It also implies a complete loss of privacy as these bots will capture our biometric data, facial expressions, personal information, secrets, arguments, conversations, and every aspect of our lives.

There is a research study called “The Ethics of Advanced AI Assistants,” written by 36 researchers from across the globe. A blogger mercifully summarized the monstrous 36-page report into the following that can provide us with a glimpse of the tech-driven, AI-centric future. (My apologies for failing to catch the blogger’s name.) I have taken the liberty to reconstruct his blog and present it in a shortened form to fit in the space for this column. Here are the key points:

AI agents are poised to revolutionize our interactions with technology by integrating deeply into our daily lives. They will manage personal information like emails and calendars and even interpret biometric data such as health metrics and sleep patterns. These agents will also be able to analyze our facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language, adjusting their behavior based on our physical and emotional states.

In practical terms, AI agents will control our devices, from editing images via voice commands to acting as personal assistants, creative directors and therapists. They will become the primary interface between us and the digital world, potentially making traditional web interfaces less relevant.

Security concerns are paramount, with AI having access to extensive personal data necessitating new levels of consent and protection. Users’ autonomy could be compromised as AI agents make decisions on our behalf, and the risk of data misuse is high.

What about anthropomorphism, where agents are designed with human-like characteristics, raising additional ethical issues? These features could lead to emotional attachments, with users potentially becoming overly dependent on their AI companions. Aligning an AI agent’s actions with the user’s ethical standards is crucial, particularly in scenarios where those standards could harm society.

Furthermore, the ubiquitous presence of AI could lead to significant changes in job markets, particularly in sectors that rely heavily on human interaction. As AI agents become more integrated into our lives, the potential for both positive advancements and negative repercussions grows.

Government regulation? Yes, we will need that, but the irony is that rules can only be enforced at scale through AI agents. The government cannot act at the speed of technology, so we must depend on our tech leaders to guide AI development with ethics and compassion. Should we then count on Mark Zuckerberg? Elon Musk? Sam Altman? Hmmm.

Meanwhile, I do not need to train my kids on technology. They pick it up easily. However, I need to teach and train them in values and ethics so they can use technology appropriately. We may need to do values training for business organizations as well.

(Francis Kong’s “Inspiring Excellence” podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms.)