Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has rapidly progressed over the past few years, and with more advancements on the horizon, there arises a deeper question of moral agency and responsibility. When talking about moral agency, we’re referring to the ability of humans to act as responsible beings, make choices, and take responsibility for our actions. With the introduction of AI, we’re faced with a situation where machines are capable of making decisions independently and acting on them. The question arises: do these machines have moral agency?
AI has made some great advancements in recent years. We have things like self-driving cars and automated decision-making in the healthcare industry. The progress is awe-inspiring, and many people believe that this technology will shape the future. But while we marvel at these advancements, we must ask ourselves what happens when we create machines that can make decisions without our direct control. Are these machines capable of making ethical decisions, and if not, who is responsible for their actions?
One example of the moral questions arising with AI technology is the case of self-driving cars. In 2018, a woman was killed in Tempe, Arizona, when she was hit by a self-driving Uber car. The self-driving car failed to identify the pedestrian, who was walking her bike across the street. After the incident, there were debates about who was at fault – the car or its “operator,” Uber. Such incidents raise complex ethical questions: Should these autonomous vehicles be held accountable for such accidents, or should the car’s manufacturer be held responsible?
To understand the discussion surrounding AI and moral agency, it’s essential to delve a little further into the topic. In general, moral agency is something that’s associated with being human — our capacity to make decisions and act on them with responsibility. Machines, on the other hand, are programmed to perform specific tasks within well-defined parameters. When it comes to ethical decision-making, machines lack the core features of moral agency, such as emotions and empathy.
As of now, AI operates within the framework of programmed rules and limitations, which constrain their decision-making abilities. For example, self-driving cars are programmed to identify obstacles and avoid collisions, but they don’t have the capacity for empathy or situational analysis. This is not to say that machines can’t learn, but the nature of learning in machines is different than that of humans.
Another example of AI decision-making gone wrong is the case of “biased algorithms.” These are machine-learned algorithms used to make decisions in a variety of settings, including the courtroom, hiring processes, and financial decision-making. However, since the training data fed into the machine can unknowingly include systemic biases, the AI algorithm can produce decisions that have discriminatory results. For instance, a biased algorithm could easily discriminate against an individual based on their gender or ethnicity, leading to unfair outcomes. Thus, in this case, the AI lacks moral agency, and hence the responsibility for the outcome of the decision lies with the algorithm’s programmer.
How do we, then, understand and tackle the issue of the moral agency of AI? Can machines ever truly possess moral agency, or is it something that’s inherent only to humans?
One approach to solve the problem of biased algorithms is to insist that the algorithm’s code and the data sets be reviewed and audited by an independent panel. Such an approach to regulate the development of AI aims to make sure these machines are coded in a way that ensures fairness and non-discrimination.
Another approach would be to recognize that AI will never truly possess moral agency at the same level as humans. Instead, we can focus on engineering such machines that uphold ethical values and respect privacy and human rights. In other words, to make sure AI works in our best interests, we must ensure that it operates within the boundaries we set for it, prioritizing things like transparency and accountability over individual autonomy.
One contributing factor to the development of AI’s ethical framework is the increasing importance and influence of interdisciplinary research – the collaboration between the philosophy, computer science, and engineering communities. Bringing together these areas of research can provide new perspectives about AI and its capabilities, including the extent to which machines can achieve moral agency.
In conclusion, the relationship between AI and moral agency is a complex one that requires careful consideration. As AI increasingly becomes a ubiquitous part of our daily lives, we must ensure that its development stays grounded in our ethical values. While machines themselves may never possess true moral agency, we can ensure that their development upholds ethical principles and meets our collective needs as a society. So, as we continue making strides into this new world of AI, let’s be mindful of the ethical implications, and strive towards creating AI that works with us, not against us.