The human condition is a complex and unpredictable amalgamation of multiple intelligence characteristics.
Our ability to make effective decisions requires us to make linguistic, spatial, emotional and ethical judgements. Artificial Intelligence doesn’t yet cover everything we perceive to be intelligence.
Computer-based data models, assumptions, algorithms and even ethical frameworks are provided by humans. Containing the same intentional and unintentional bias as their creators.
Humanity is accelerating into an age of AI. Increasing our dependency on decision-making machines across the entire spectrum of societal functions, from science to education. Social media on the other hand is indirectly influencing our personal decision-making process. From shaping our political views to the people we like, to the products/services we buy.
How suitable are ethical models in governing platforms, code and architectures to ensure we maintain societal balance?
AI is changing the shape of society. A society made up of a multiverse of cultures. All with their own distinct moral codes and ethical constructs. So how do we apply ethical models to technology when one size surely can’t fit all?
Living in Europe, with so many languages and cultures on my doorstep and an ancestral connection to the Indian subcontinent. I’ve always been fascinated by the construct of culture, from languages to traditions to ethics. In light of our digital acceleration, my curiosity for how we apply ethics to technology whilst maintaining cultural balance is also accelerating.
So, I enlisted the support of Olivia Gambelin – an AI ethicist – to widen the aperture of my lens and qualify what I did or didn’t understand. Olivia is the founder of Ethical Intelligence.
“We each have our own cultures. We live through those cultures. We have values through those cultures. It’s not a bad thing that there’s a bit of chaos there.”
Olivia Gambelin
When I first reached out to Olivia, what I didn’t quite expect was this shared passion for the construct of culture. Especially when viewed through the lens of AI and ethics.
I instantly knew we could shape a truly unique conversation.
In doing so we start today’s conversation by unpacking Olivia’s Italian-American heritage. We travel through conversation to an Agriturismo in Tuscany. Olivia’s love for Italy and her memories of her Nonno are truly wonderful to listen to.
Olivia’s story around the Agriturismo isn’t just the opener to our conversation but provides a real insight into her persona. One centred around embracing the fear of the unknown but immersing herself with absolute focus. To do so requires bravery. In a field dominated by the male humanoid, a female mindset – one who speaks about culture with such honesty and adoration – is crucial in influencing the ethical models desperately needed to minimise the disruption on society.
Culture is the bedrock of this conversation. It creates a foundation based around linguistics and language that sets up a deep-dive into the different types of ethical models. Culture also provides us with a lens to help define the relationship between the terms philosophy, morals and ethics.
There are various touchpoints to the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma and recent events such as the UK exam fiasco and even personality assessments that provide much-needed context to a complex topic of conversation.
We close the conversation by pondering self-aware fictional characters and robot rights. Olivia’s insight will surely provoke your thoughts in this space.
I felt honoured to have shared this conversational experience with Olivia. She talks openly about her heritage and the challenges of shaping the role of an AI ethicist. A role that is shaping our ethical landscape. From our social media feeds to machine driven decisions that are directly influencing the construct of our lives.
Blessings and love,
GLOSSARY
Deanthropomorphisation is the removal of a thing’s anthropomorphic nature; making something less human in form or character.
Deontological ethics is when an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good.
Consequentialism is results-based ethics. Of all the things a person might do at any given moment, the morally right action is the one with the best overall outcomes.
Virtue ethics deals with the honesty and morality of a person. It states that practising good habits such as honesty, generosity makes a moral and virtuous person. It guides a person without specific rules for resolving the ethical complexity.
QUOTES
“How do we create a standard that is structured enough, but adaptable enough so it doesn’t clash with cultural values?“ – Olivia
“Technology is a mirror of humanity back onto itself. ” – Olivia
“I want to be the best version of those multiple versions of myself.“ – Bobby
“All of those facets of myself are completely authentic. Different cultures allow me to highlight different aspects of myself.“ – Olivia
“Culture is an output of different morals and different ethics.” – Bobby
“Computer-based personality assessments are people covering their backs on accountability. I didn’t hire this person because computer said no.” – Bobby
“We need to embrace and approach technology with bravery.” – Olivia
RESOURCES
Website: Ethical IntelligenceLatest Training Workshop: The Equation
Website: Olivia Gambelin
LinkedIn Profile: Olivia Gambelin
Twitter: Olivia Gambelin
Article: Brave: what it means to be an AI Ethicist by Olivia Gambelin
Article: Everything that went wrong with the botched A-Levels algorithm
Research Paper: Robot Rights? Let’s Talk about Human Welfare Instead – Abeba Birhane and Jelle van Dijk
Book: Quality Land – Marc-Uwe Kling
Film: iRobot
Film: WALL-E
Documentary: The Social Dilemma on Netflix
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