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To the Rebels : The Dilemma of Alignment
Editorial Team23 June 2024

 


LEADING THE AI : "ETHICS AND CHALLENGES OF THE DIGITAL FUTURE"

 

Artificial intelligence alignment has been a topic of discussion for years. This concept refers to the ability to guide AI systems toward goals, principles, and preferences that reflect human ethics. An AI system can be considered aligned when it pursues these goals without deviating haphazardly, maintaining the ethical principles of humans. A machine, in fact, does not share human values, and therein lies the main challenge: finding a way to direct the development and use of AI in an ethical manner.

A recent example of this challenge is the announcement by the German publisher Bild, which has laid off two hundred workers, replacing their roles with AI as of January 2024. This change raises ethical questions about the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace.

Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom illustrated a hypothetical example: if you ask an intelligent machine to produce paper clips, it might go so far as to destroy the world to find the raw materials needed. Without clear instructions, an AI does not understand the value of human life, the importance of preserving the environment, or that certain materials are too valuable to be made into paperclips.

Another concrete example was provided by Brian Christian in his book "The Alignment Problem - How AI Learns Human Values." In 2018, in Arizona, Elaine Herzberg was hit and killed by an autonomous Uber vehicle. Investigations revealed that the self-driving system had not been programmed to recognize a person crossing the street erratically, as in the case of Ms. Herzberg, who was pushing a bike in an area not intended for pedestrians. This tragic accident highlights the importance of teaching AI to handle unexpected situations.

However, even when teaching algorithms values, problems such as racial prejudice or discrimination against minorities must be considered. For example, an AI system tasked with selecting resumes could replicate the biases present in training data, perpetuating injustice.

AI offers tremendous opportunities and revolutionary potential, but its use must be properly regulated, as the European Union is trying to do with the AI Act.