The winter of AI discontent – thoughts on trends in tech ethics

Ethics is a hot-button topic of discussion for the technology industry right now, especially in the rapidly developing fields around artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and automated decision systems. Consumers and tech industry workers alike are raising their voices to influence what kinds of automated decision-making systems are designed, what decisions they should be allowed to make – both in terms of industry verticals and specific applications within them – and what datasets should be used to build the models that power those systems. Google, for example, is pledging $25m towards "AI for social good". Yet some critics say they are "filled with dread" at the prospect of efforts spearheaded by a tech giant that may accelerate the dominance of one mode of thinking to the detriment of other groups. There is a growing emphasis on de-risking negative public perception of the tech industry through robust policies on data privacy and data security.