Data ethics and AI ethics

Introduction to Data Ethics

Shalini Kurapati, PhD

Co-founder and CEO, Clearbox AI

What is AI?

Illustration of AI with data input and model decision.

  • AI combines algorithms and robust dataset to solve problems
  • Powerful AI uses large datasets
  • Massive potential, double-edged sword, ethical considerations
Introduction to Data Ethics

Data is fuel for AI

Illustration of the importance of data for AI with a cooking analogy.

  • AI models need massive amounts of data, most of AI efforts spent on data
  • Poor data leads to poor AI outcomes
  • AI ethics wide-ranging than data ethics, important to know the similarities and differences
1 Photo source: Andrew Ng's webinar, MLOps: From Model-centric to Data-centric AI
Introduction to Data Ethics

The good and the amazing

A collage of a voice assistant speaker, chatgpt screenshot and Netflix homepage screenshot.

  • Voice assistants, conversational AI
  • Movie recommendations

A breast x-ray image with two tumors at different stages of growth

  • AI for good
  • Early cancer diagnosis
  • Precision agriculture- reduced water & pesticide use
Introduction to Data Ethics

The bad and the ugly

A collage of screenshots of news stories on AI algorithm discrimination

  • Discrimination in hiring, access to healthcare, and fair trials in court
  • Many reasons- biased datasets, complex and blackbox AI models, lack of explanations
  • AI ethics go beyond data ethics
Introduction to Data Ethics

AI ethics dilemmas

AI ethics go beyond data ethics

  • Consequences if AI decision making:
    • Credit access/loans
    • Hiring
  • AI discrimination
  • AI/Robots taking over jobs
  • Will robots/drones claim fewer human lives in a war?
  • What does it mean to be human?
  • Can we encode morality into AI?

Picture of a road sign pointing at opposite directions with a mountain background.

1 Photo source: unsplash.com
Introduction to Data Ethics

What should an AI do?

  • Selfing driving car with sudden brake failure
  • Continue ahead or swerve
  • Continue will kill a woman, man and an older woman
  • Swerve will kill a young woman and two children
  • Who is responsible?

Illustration of an ethical dilemma of a self driving car

1 https://moralmachine.mit.edu/
Introduction to Data Ethics

AI ethics guidelines in a nutshell

Many organizations and bodies working on AI ethics guidelines

  • Human agency and oversight
  • Technical robustness and safety
  • Privacy and data governance
  • Transparency
  • Diversity, non-discrimination and fairness
  • Environmental and societal well-being
  • Accountability

Image of algorithm watch's AI ethics guidelines inventory.

1 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/assessment-list-trustworthy-artificial-intelligence-altai-self-assessment 2 https://inventory.algorithmwatch.org/
Introduction to Data Ethics

The data overlap

  • Privacy, security, data protection
  • Bias and fairness
  • Transparency
  • Accountability

Illustration of the overlap of data and AI ethics

Introduction to Data Ethics

Let's practice!

Introduction to Data Ethics

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