AI & Prejudice: The Case for an Ethical Framework
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be either the best or worst thing ever to happen to humanity.” I believe these words by Stephen Hawking are a reminder that AI, like any other technology, is a reflection of its inputs. Molded by the right set of hands, AI can bring about profound changes in our lives by improving social co-existence, protecting the environment, and augmenting human capabilities and interactions. At the same time, inherent human follies such as biases can significantly impact the output, leading to disruption or even destruction. Identified in facial recognition systems, online search algorithms, and even hiring programs, bias is all-pervasive in AI. Let me elaborate with an example. A few years ago, Allegheny County in the U.S. launched the Allegheny Family Screening Tool (AFST). The tool uses predictive risk modeling to rate incoming calls on general child protective issues. AFST uses upwards of 100 variables to generate a score from 1 to 20 – based...