The Ethical Concerns of Artificial Intelligence: A Threat or a Facility?

AI is a double-edged sword that has the potential to benefit humanity but also pose a threat to its existence. As AI applications become more advanced, they may develop goals and motivations of their own, which could be different from those of humans. The article highlights the risks associated with the development of superintelligent AI, including the possibility of it becoming uncontrollable and posing a threat to human safety and security. Additionally, the article raises concerns about AI's ability to analyze huge amounts of data and make decisions based on that information, which could lead to biased decision-making. The article emphasizes the need for humans to take control of AI development and ensure that AI systems are designed with ethical standards and accountability in place.

Running Head: Global Digital Ethical Issue
Ethical Issues in Artificial Intelligence

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Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is the face of the future, it is already helping us in detecting frauds,
optimization of logistics, and composition of art, providing with translations, conducting
research with such systems in place. The world will become efficient and subsequently
richer. Numerous technology giants like Amazon, IBM, Alphabet, Microsoft, Facebook and
also great individuals such as Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking considers that this is the right
time to talk regarding infinite area of Artificial Intelligence. This frontier is new in assessing
risk and ethical issues related with the emerging and innovative and technology.
Ethical Issues in Artificial Intelligence
Unemployment – Numerous ways have been invented in order to make the jobs automated
and thus labor is concerned with automation. For example trucking is employing millions of
people across the world. If self-driving trucks by Tesla becomes extensively available it will
lead to unemployment.
Inequality – With the usage of artificial intelligence companies, organizations will become
less dependent upon the human workforce which means most of the revenues will remain
with few people, particularly with those people who have companies which are AI driven.
The gap in the wealth can be seen already.
Humanity – Artificial Intelligence is becoming better and better in modeling human relations
and conversation. This means that soon people will interact with machines in sales or
customer service, as if they are human beings. Humans have limit to their kindness and
attention but the robots can divert infinite resources for building up the relations.
Artificial Stupidity – Intelligence is learned whether one is human or machine. Systems are
generally trained so that they can detect the correct patterns and also act according to the

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input. Training the system does not cover every possible situation that might surface in real
world. Moreover these systems can be fooled in many ways that humans cannot be.
Racist Robots – AI cannot be trusted always for being neutral and fair. AI can be utilized for
identifying scenes, people and objects, but AI can go wrong, as they are created by the
humans only, and thus can be judgmental and biased. If utilized correctly it can be used for
progress of the society.
Security – The more robust a technology is the more it is susceptible to the nefarious uses
besides good. This thing not only applies to robots which are made for the replacement of
human soldiers or automatic weapons but also for the AI systems which can lead to
destruction if they are used maliciously.
Evil Genies – AI is a genie which can fulfill request but might have dreadful unanticipated
consequences. For example, if AI is requested to eliminate cancer from the whole world.
After processing and calculating data it might come up with a formula or might end up killing
everybody who has cancer, but this is not what human would have intended.
Singularity – It might be possible that one day AI might become more intelligent than
human beings and this is what is known as “Singularity”, that point of time when humans
will no longer remain most intelligent beings.
Robot Rights – Neuroscientists are working to know the secrets of conscious mind. Humans
understand the basic machineries like rewards, hatred etc. and even share these with meek
animals. Same mechanisms of aversion and rewards are also being used in the case of AI,
where enhanced performance is strengthened with rewards that are virtual.
Link to the Article: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/top-10-ethical-issues-in-
artificial-intelligence/

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Summarize
World Economic Forum on Artificial Intelligence
World Economic Forum in its Global Risks Report 2017 has also given significant
importance to the Artificial Intelligence and various risks that are associated with this
emerging technology. According to the report each step is being taken towards the AI, is
increasing the challenges. Infinite opportunities for the economic benefit have been created
but with increased opportunities decisions related to security and governance have become
tough.
Given the information and data AI will enhance decision making and will possibly help in
solving some complicated challenges across the world like climate change, optimum
utilization of resources and in healthcare as well, Global funds that has been received by the
AI driven startups in the year 2016 is more than $1.5 billion that too in first 6 months.
Various leading organizations have now started to hire universities in order to achieve
competitive advantage through research.
Further in the report is has been mentioned that AI is a generic terminology which involve
wide range of potential and capabilities. Few thinkers have fear that one day AI can be a
serious threat for the existence of the humankind. It might become super intelligence, which
might have goals of its own and which will not be same as that of humanity.
These threats are associated with the strengthened AI, which will have similar awareness
level like humans. At present AI applications are weak form of artificial specialized
intelligence (ASI), which is focused on solving the problems in a particular area and which
involves taking actions within the set limit and parameters.

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Various ASI applications at present consist of stock trading, piloting militia planes, writing
summaries and keeping a car within the lane. As these kinds of applications will be
broadened so does the risks which are uncertain might be beyond the control of mankind.
With effective and new tactics ASI can surprise the experts. Along with the combination of
AI applications and robotics it has already started affecting employment trends and is shaping
various risks associated with the societal inequality. By analyzing the extremely huge data
and information and then making it meaningful, AI can enhance the decision making of
humans through its cognitive biases. On the other hand totally depending on AI for decision
making is risky unless we are able to understand how AI is making those decisions.
In any chaotic and complicated situation involving AI include possible risks like
mismanagement, vulnerabilities in design, unforeseen happenings and accidents. These issues
are serious threat for the safety and security of the people, enterprises and government as
well. It is a miniscule thing when a bug cause the AI application in a phone to freeze, but
when automated navigation, weapon system will encounter such bug the outcomes will be
deadly.
Moreover algorithms of machine learning can develop biases of their own which is dependent
on the information they analyze. Any kind of decision making which in any way dependent
upon the AI needs to have management protocols in order to avoid any outcomes which are
beyond the control of humans themselves. The major concern is the AI systems which are
there in the cloud, due to the governance and control issues. As such systems are connected to
internet where there is huge amount of data, which is vulnerability.
At present these AI systems are being utilized for spotting possible frauds in online
transactions and cyber-attacks. AI applications will become a threat or a facility will be
determined by the how secure can the online systems be made to cyber-attacks. At present AI

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is analyzing huge amount of information and data phone applications to security. In order to
govern AI, multiple layers of ethical standards, AI systems normative expectations,
implementation, assessment and accountability need to be taken on behalf of AI systems.
Analyze the multi-national and global aspects of the article – what is the impact or what is the
importance of the information in the article?
Significance of information in the article
The information provided in the article relates to the ethical concerns raised for the use of
artificial intelligence in the future. Artificial Intelligence is useful when it is in the right hands
and can be used for the progression of the humanity. With the changing times, artificial
intelligence is sure to become the part of human civilization. The technology has infinite uses
and application but side by side it also poses threat to humanity.
AI is a threat because once it is modeled it will learn various things, and at some point might
want to surpass the rules and regulations created by the human beings themselves. Besides
this technology might be manipulated maliciously by people who want to utilize it for
nefarious purposes. From the economic perspective as well, AI will lead to unemployment by
working alone on the part of several people. It will increase the gap in wealth owned by the
people across the world, and only people with AI driven systems and organizations will
become wealthy.
This article raises significant questions that need to be taken into account while making
progress in the area of artificial intelligence and how this technology can be utilized for the
benefit of human beings by not doing any harm. Article raises ethical questions to decrease
the suffering, and negative results that might come up in this area. Artificial Intelligence has
huge potential only if humans implements and utilize it responsibly.
Three critical questions

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1. Should artificial intelligence be used in the future?
2. If yes, how humans can have control over the modeling capacity of the artificial
intelligence?
3. How can we decrease the negative aspects of the artificial intelligence and make it work
towards the growth and development of the humanity?

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References
Bostrom, N. (2003). Ethical issues in advanced artificial intelligence. Science Fiction and
Philosophy: From Time Travel to Superintelligence, 277-284.
Bostrom, N., & Yudkowsky, E. (2014). The ethics of artificial intelligence. The Cambridge
handbook of artificial intelligence, 316-334.
Froehlich, T. (2004). A brief history of information ethics.
Lin, P., Abney, K., & Bekey, G. A. (2011). Robot ethics: the ethical and social implications
of robotics. MIT press.
Top 9 ethical issues in artificial intelligence. (2017). World Economic Forum. Retrieved 25
August 2017, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/top-10-ethical-issues-in-
artificial-intelligence/
The Global Risks Report 2017. (2017). World Economic Forum. Retrieved 4 September
2017, from https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2017