t cht lk
TECH TALK
are compiled can introduce assumptions
or biases – gender, race or income – that
influence how the system behaves. Consider
how datasets drawn from a male-dominated
field unintentionally resulted in a gender-
biased recruitment tool.
Similarly, a lack of transparency around
the data models and information
infrastructures used to power AI systems
– what data is used and how decisions are
made – has the potential to lead to similar
issues associated with ethical AI design,
development and deployment.
The fast-paced adoption and reliance on
data and Machine Learning in every field of
activity – government, healthcare, agriculture,
policing, finance and so forth – to automate
decision-making and transactional tasks,
means concerns about the potential misuse
of these technologies cannot be ignored.
The fallout can be seen in the public mistrust
of social networking platforms, fuelled by the
78
INTELLIGENTCIO
“
Risk and reward – The benefits of
taking an ethical approach
IT HAS BEEN
ESTIMATED THAT
AI COULD ADD AN
ADDITIONAL
£630 BILLION TO
THE UK ECONOMY
BY 2035. The UK government’s £9 million investment
in a national advisory board is being
driven by a desire to ensure safe, ethical
and ground-breaking innovation in AI and
data-driven technologies – and propel
UK leadership in this arena on the global
stage. Earlier this year, a House of Lords
select committee report on the impact of
Artificial Intelligence on the UK’s economy
and society identified ethics as an area the
country could gain a commercial edge on a
Cambridge Analytica scandal and growing
focus on how organisations use personal
information and data. global scale. Indeed, it has been estimated
that AI could add an additional £630 billion
to the UK economy by 2035.
The widespread recognition of the social and
public dimensions of AI means concerns that
organisations could use AI-powered tools
to intentionally – or inadvertently – invade
privacy or cause harm; unfairness or moral
wrongs must be addressed. Enterprises and public sector bodies looking
to take advantage of these opportunities
are recognising that ethical judgements will
need to be made about how we use and
apply data – and are putting appropriate
accountability structures in place. The year
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