Why The A.I. Ethicist?
The bedrock of society is its people, and people are governed by their values. Their values manifest in the tools, structures, and organizations from which they build. Moreover, societal values change, particularly in the United States of America. Americans are relegating values and morals that had been their pride. Patriotism [70% to 38%], Religion [62% to 39%], Community Involvement [47% to 27%], and Tolerance for Others [80% to 58%] have dropped significantly throughout the years.1
However, Money [31% to 43%] has increased 12%.1 Money has increasingly become the impetus for business decisions and personal endeavors, at the cost of other values. For example, A.I. - generated pictures are, generally, free to use to generate content. Though, the A.I. - generated pictures often reinforce gender, ethnic, and racial stereotypes. Midjourney, an A.I. - image generator hosted by a San Francisco Lab, returned images of ethnicities with a prevailing stereotype; 195 photos of Barbie dolls had been made with the stereotypes, such that an image was produced of a South Sudanese Barbie carrying a rifle.2
The A.I. Ethicist prods the reader to reflect on personal values and to develop an analytical mind in the responsible utilization of A.I. tools. If the reader is thinking of the ethical implementations of software and machines, the A.I. Ethicist is successful.
Endnotes:
1 John Stonestreet and Kasey Leander , “Americans’ Values Are Changing”, Breakpoint Colson Center, accessed Jan 17, 2024,
http://www.breakpoint.org/americans-values-are-changing
2 Victoria Turk “How AI reduces the world to stereotypes", rest of world, accessed Jan 17, 2024,