Technological innovation is not new. Over decades, businesses have continued to explore how technology can assist in improving the bottom line.

AI is already changing the way business is done and posing important questions- what will this mean as capabilities advance? Are there investment opportunities in this rapidly evolving landscape? How will regulations govern future trends?

However, as AI continues to add to the pace of technological change, consequences are larger than for the individual business itself. From algorithmic biases to job losses, concerns over deepfakes, and the automation of tasks that have defined careers and humanity, it is imperative that these issues be given the utmost priority in developing solutions.

Consequently, there is little doubt that as businesses and individuals strive to identify and adapt AI principles and practices it is inevitable that questions regarding ethics and the ethical adaptation of AI will arise.

UNESCO has noted that the rapid rise in artificial intelligence (AI) has created many opportunities globally, from facilitating healthcare diagnoses to enabling human connections through social media and creating labour efficiencies through automated tasks.

However, these rapid changes also raise profound ethical concerns. These arise from the potential AI systems have to embed biases, contribute to climate degradation, threaten human rights and more. Such risks associated with AI have already begun to compound on top of existing inequalities, resulting in further harm to already marginalised groups (1).

As companies seek improved business outcomes in terms of markets, productivity and profits the emergence of big data, AI applications and advances in technology can sometimes have unintended consequences.

Ethical issues are increasingly becoming important considerations. Examples of AI ethics issues include data responsibility and privacy, fairness, explainability, robustness, transparency, environmental sustainability, inclusion, moral agency, value alignment, accountability, trust, and technology misuse (2).

Like many governments and international organisations, in the Australian context the Federal Government has adopted 8 AI Ethics Principles designed to ensure AI is safe, secure and reliable.

At a glance, these principles are:

1. Human, societal and environmental wellbeing
2. Human-centred values: AI systems should respect human rights, diversity, and the autonomy of individuals.
3. Fairness: AI systems should be inclusive and accessible and should not involve or result in unfair discrimination against individuals, communities or groups.
4. Privacy protection and security: AI systems should respect and uphold privacy rights and data protection and ensure the security of data.
5. Reliability and safety: AI systems should reliably operate in accordance with their intended purpose.
6. Transparency and explainability: There should be transparency and responsible disclosure so people can understand when they are being significantly impacted by AI, and can find out when an AI system is engaging with them.
7. Contestability: When an AI system significantly impacts a person, community, group or environment, there should be a timely process to allow people to challenge the use or outcomes of the AI system.
8. Accountability: People responsible for the different phases of the AI system lifecycle should be identifiable and accountable for the outcomes of the AI systems, and human oversight of AI systems should be enabled.

The Australian Government believes these will help achieve safer, more reliable and fairer outcomes; reduce the risk of negative impact on those affected by AI applications; and businesses and governments will practice the highest ethical standards when designing, developing and implementing AI (3).

Accordingly, it is most timely that the Alliance for AI & Humanity (AAIH) has been established. Its founding principles, to work to advance responsible development and use of AI by addressing the most important pressing ethical, privacy and legal challenges related to the use of these technologies and helping guide efforts in the development and deployment of AI to enhance the quality of peoples’ lives will ensure these matters are given the utmost priority.

1. https://www.unesco.org/en/artificial-intelligence/recommendation-ethics
2. https://www.ibm.com/topics/ai-ethics
3. https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/australias-artificial-intelligence-ethics-framework/australias-ai-ethics-principles