AnIssuesManagementApproachtoArtificialIntelligence(AI)andEthics:ACrisiswiththeRisingMachines?

• ShannonA.Bowen,Ph.D.• Professor,UniversityofSouthCarolina• Twitter:@DrBowen• sbowen@sc.edu

Issuesmanagement,AIandEthics• AnemergentissueforallsectorsofpublicandprivatelifeistherapiddevelopmentanduseofArtificialIntelligence(AI).

• AIposesavastnumberofpositivepotentialsinpublichealth,civilengineering,policing,media,andotherareas.

• TheethicalproblemsinAIarelittleexploredbythosewhodevelopit.

Issuesmanagement,AIandEthics• Issuesmanagementistaskedwithpreparingtheorganizationforpotentialrisksandsolvingproblemsbeforetheybecomecrises.

• PublicrelationsusesdataanalyticsgeneratedbyAIinnumerousways.Risks?Privacy?

• TheethicalproblemsassociatedwithpublicrelationsuseofAIarelittleexploredandnotyetcompletelyunderstood,muchlesssolidified.Issuesariseformanagement.

Literature• AIresearchersandfuturistsarebothpositiveandnegativeonmachineconsciousnessandtheabilitytointegrateethicalvaluesanddecisionmaking(Davies,2016).

• Todate,noscholarlyresearchinthisareaforpublicrelationshasbeenidentified.ThediscussionsoftheethicalimplicationsofAIinissuesmanagementandpublicrelationsexistsprimarilyintheblogosphere.

Method• DatawerecollectedattheAssociationfortheAdvancementofArtificialIntelligence(AAAI)conferenceandtheArthurW.PageSocietySpringSeminar,andindividualphonecalls.

• ThroughshortsurveysandinterviewswithAIspecialists,fromprogrammersinsensing,reasoning,andmovingtoroboticsengineers,IexaminetheextenttowhichethicsisconsideredinAIasapotentialissue,risk,orthreat.

• ThenIexaminethisdataascomparedwiththeextenttowhichpublicrelationsprosandeducatorsconsiderAIethics,alsousingshortsurveysandinterviews.

Method• Meta:Arepublicrelationsscholarsandprofessionalsreadytoaddresstheissues,specificallythemyriadcomplexethicaldilemmas,thatwillresultfromtheAIrevolution?

• RQ1: TowhatextentdoAIspecialistconsiderethicsandmoralramificationsofAIintheirwork?

• RQ2:WhatarethepressingareasofAIethicsthatpublicrelationsspecialistsshoulduseintheirissuesmanagement?

Results• ByprovidingdatatoRQ1,theneedforethicalstandardscanbeassessed.

• AIdevelopersoverwhelmingly didnotthinkaboutethicalconcerns.

• Thosewhodidwerephilosopherswhothoughtsingularily aboutracialconcerns;otherethicalconcernswerecompletely,vastlyoverlooked.(exs.)

• Concernsaboutprivacyanddatause/manipulationorstrategicimplicationssimplydidnotexist.

• AIphilosophersexpressaneedfor“valuesalignment”butdonotgofurtherinspecifyingwhatthesevaluesare(orshouldbe).(!)

AIDev.Results• “AIresearchisveryopaqueandpoorlycommunicated,whichisabarrier.”

• “Getmorepeopleofdifferentbackgroundsintheroom.”

• “IfAIbecomesethical,itwillfindadutytoannihilatethehumanraceasthesourceofwar,poverty,environmentaldamageandotherafflictionsontheworld.”

• “We’renotreallysurewhattheethicalprotocolsare.”• “Haven’tthoughtaboutethicsuntilyouasked.”

CCOResults• RQ2,publicrelationsprofessionalsweremoreawareoftheethicalchallengesposedbyAIthanthosedevelopingthetech.

• NopublicrelationsprofessionalsusedthetermissuesmanagementtodescribeAIchallenges.

• However,theydescribedissuesinprivacy,security,datause,banking,equality,&access.

• EducatorsubsamplerecognizesethicalissuesofAItosomeextentbutdonotreportteachingit.

CCOResults• “RightnowAIposesthebiggestchallengeinthebankingindustry– wehaveaccesstoallthedataandhavefewprotocolstoprotectit.”

• “Wearelearninghowtouseitbutdon’tknowtheethicalbarriershere.Nooneknows.”

• “WeknowitisgoingtoposeproblemsandFacebookisoneexample.Wejusthavenotdeterminedthebestwaytoaddressthoseproblemsyet,butwearetalkingaboutitregularly.”

Results• Ethicalframeworksareessential forassessingandadvisingmanagementonthecomplexchangesbroughtbyAI.

• Anissuesmanagementapproachshouldbeusedtoidentifyrisks,assessthepotentialimpact,andengageinproblemsolvinganduseethicalanalysisbeforetheorganizationmovesintouseofAI.

• PublicrelationsprosaremoreawareoftherisksthanAIdevelopers,sowemustlead inthisarea.

Implications• ByusinganissuesmanagementapproachtotheethicalconundrumsposedbyAI,thisstudyseekstohelpidentifyandassessthepotentialethicalissueswithwhichpublicrelationsmustdeal.

• AttentiontotheseissuesshouldfosterapublicrelationsindustrythatisethicallyengagedandoptimallypreparedtoengageincounselingtheethicsofproactiveAIimplementationanduse,ratherthanwaitingforotherfields,suchasengineeringorlaw,todefinetheethicsofAIinorganizations.

Conclusion• Issuesmanagementiscentraltoidentifyemergingtrendsforanorganizationandmanagingissuesofriskoruncertainty,helpingtoproactivelyprepareforthefuture:AnAIfuture!

• Thankyou!• Questionsarewelcomed!• @DrBowen• sbowen@sc.edu