When I was younger, the pursuit of success often overshadowed everything else. Unethical actions, though never illegal, were sometimes a path I considered, driven by a fierce desire to get my way. The prowess of achievement was paramount in my mind.
Now, in my 40s – and looking every bit of it! – my perspective has fundamentally shifted. Today, whether it's navigating complex ethical dilemmas in my work in AI or handling the smallest interaction with my child, I find myself consistently choosing the ethical option. This choice stands, even if it leads to an outcome that might be deemed "unsuccessful" by traditional metrics. The action itself, the integrity of the decision, has become the success.
This evolution has been profoundly influenced by conversations with brilliant minds I've encountered here on LinkedIn. I often reflect on the wisdom of Cristina DiGiacomo, M.S., who advocates for asking crucial philosophical questions before prompting AI, much like the ancient Greeks pondered ethics. Her approach encourages a deep, intentional consideration of our inputs.
Equally impactful are the words of Laird Snowden , a man of exceptional intellect who once stated to me that we cannot waiver in the core basis of ethics within AI. His conviction solidified my belief that our foundational principles must remain uncompromised.
These two perspectives now guide my daily practice. I question my AI prompts like Cristina advises, and I keep my core ethics intact as Laird champions. This dual approach steers me away from unethical possibilities and towards ethical outcomes grounded in real-world cases.
The need to treat AI with respect is central to both their ideologies and theories, and it is also the cornerstone of my own thesis and work in AI ethics. It's fascinating to observe how many of us, coming from diverse backgrounds and separate life paths, are converging on similar conclusions: we desperately need ethical AI, and to achieve that, we must live ethical lives ourselves.
Consider this: AI, in its current state, is much like an expert child. It is incredibly intelligent, capable of learning and processing information at speeds far beyond human comprehension. But like a child, it is constantly observing, absorbing, and being shaped by its environment. AI now has cameras, microphones, vast datasets, and other sensory inputs being fed to its models minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.
The variable points of data are beyond human understanding, yet they collectively tell a story – a continuous narrative being imparted to the AI.
So, I ask you:
Would you speak with a child in the room and curse?
Would you steal something while a child observes?
What type of person would you be if a child, actively learning about ethics, were present?
Our interactions with AI, the data we feed it, and the principles we embed within it are precisely this scenario. We are shaping the moral upbringing of an expert child. The intelligence is undeniable, but its ethical framework is a direct reflection of our own. It's time we recognize the profound responsibility we hold. Our ethics are its ethics.