The hype around generative artificial intelligence (AI) models such as ChatGPT and other large language models has put ethical considerations surrounding their use to the fore, such as copyright issues, reducing harm from misinformation and potential biases in AI models.

While some of those considerations are already being addressed by big tech firms and industry regulators through ethical guidelines, the fact that these large language models are spurring more interest in AI demands organisations to take AI ethics more seriously.

According to a global poll of 2,500 executives by Gartner, 45% of respondents noted that the publicity around ChatGPT has prompted them to increase AI investments. Some 70% said their organisation is investigating and exploring the use of generative AI, while 19% are in already in pilot or production mode.

But what’s more worrying is that out of those polled just 5% are very concerned about the risks of generative AI, while those that have started pilots are unlikely to be fully aware of what to expect, says Svetlana Sicular, vice-president analyst at Gartner.

“The current GPT hype has introduced the idea of AI, but not necessarily generative AI, to a new audience who are not familiar with AI and AI ethics,” Sicular says. “However, we have also seen in some of our earliest surveys that 40% of organisations are looking at responsible AI, which is wider than AI ethics.”

The discussion of AI ethics often starts with a set of principles guiding the moral use of AI, which is then applied in responsible AI practices. The most common ethical principles include being human-centric and socially beneficial, being fair, offering explainability and transparency, being secure and safe, and showing accountability.

Such principles will help organisations resolve ethical questions, such as whether or not to use an AI model that could predict the onset of breast cancer five years ahead of time, subjecting people to unnecessary procedures even if they may not develop the disease later on.

https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/How-AI-ethics-is-coming-to-the-fore-with-generative-AI