AI ethics are moral guidelines for responsible artificial intelligence tech usage and development.
It’s a system that AI developers should have in place to serve people better while minimizing negative consequences. Technology can only be as efficient as it’s built to be and should follow a universal guideline to benefit its user base.
Let’s break down some of the biggest ethical focuses in AI that developers should prioritize as it evolves.
Biggest AI Ethical Concerns
AI is just like any other technological advancement in need of guidelines. Many professionals can already see the consequences of using the tool without moral consideration.
Professionals from different backgrounds and industries have much to consider as they incorporate AI into their strategy, and we’ll discuss some of the biggest ethical concerns in AI.
HubSpot Product Manager Kevin Walsh and the founder of PR 20/20, Paul Roetzer, sat down to discuss ethical concerns for the future of AI.
1. Privacy and Security Concerns
We interviewed one of HubSpot’s marketing blog editors, Martina Bretous, to get her perspective on this concern, “It can impact the brand’s credibility but also bring legal ramifications. For content creators and artists, there is a real fear of intellectual property theft. How can I ensure that my content is protected from AI?”
AI is a valuable and time-saving tool, but the information it uses to improve isn’t guaranteed to be protected. The amount of personal data users unknowingly give away for AI solutions isn’t disclosed — and it could be using unauthorized intellectual property to work. Without ethical guidelines, it can lead to data breaches, legal conflict, and other misuses.
2. Social and Environmental Wellbeing Concerns
AI systems can have an impact on individual and environmental well-being. Developers of the technology should clearly outline the objectives of the tech they create to erase ambiguity. Additionally, they should ensure its use is for the benefit of everyone who uses it equally.
3. Reliability Concerns
According to the HubSpot State of AI survey, 30% of marketers don’t use AI because they believe it sometimes produces inaccurate information. Users of artificial intelligence rely on the tech to operate as advertised, but there are valid concerns about whether the results it generates are reliable.
Bretous builds on this point to say, “With AI, there’s no shortage of ethical implications – it just depends on whose lens you’re looking from. For brands, for instance, one ethical dilemma they may have to wrestle with is how they’ll disclose the use of generative AI in their content marketing. Does the audience deserve to know when something – say a blog post – has been AI-generated or should audiences just assume it’s the name of the game now?”
Typically, AI doesn’t disclose the exact sources of information it shares with users — much less a game plan for accident mitigation or investigation when information is false or leaked. To combat these concerns, AI ethics could change these doubts into real plans for beneficial change.