{"id":8575,"title":"Technology must be aligned with the common good \u2013 \u201cEthics of Algorithms\u201d is now \u201creframe[Tech]\u201d","link":"https:\/\/www.reframetech.de\/en\/2022\/09\/06\/technology-must-be-aligned-with-the-common-good-ethics-of-algorithms-is-now-reframetech\/","date":"09\/06\/2022","date_unix":1662445796,"date_modified_unix":1723456713,"date_iso":"2022-09-06T06:29:56+00:00","content":"

The Bertelsmann Stiftung\u2019s new \u201creframe[Tech] \u2013 Algorithms for the Common Good\u201d<\/strong> project develops solutions for mitigating algorithmic risks and motivates to harness the potential of algorithms for public interest concerns.<\/em> Building on the work of the Ethics of Algorithms project launched in 2017, our new and significantly expanded team is committed to ensuring that efforts to develop and use algorithms and artificial intelligence are more closely aligned with the common good.<\/em><\/p>\n

The debate about the impact of algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) on society has come a long way. In more and more areas of society<\/a><\/strong>, our everyday life involves interacting with algorithmic systems. Much has been written and published in recent years to help ensure that ethical considerations play a relevant role in the design and use of algorithms. Nevertheless, algorithmic risks often get brushed aside in practice. At the same time, we see key technologies being developed almost exclusively for economic purposes and to maximize efficiency, while their potential for public interest concerns remains largely untapped.<\/p>\n

This calls for new approaches and has informed our decision to close the chapter on the \u201cEthics of Algorithms<\/strong>\u201d<\/a> project and launch its successor, \u201creframe[Tech]\u201d. As a society, we need more than a discussion on the ethics of algorithmic systems \u2013 we need concrete and binding efforts to implement ethical principles into practice. In addition, we need to look at the relevant trends, power structures, and challenges presented by the development of technology in a larger context in order to mitigate algorithmic risks and leverage societal opportunities.<\/p>\n

Civil society should focus more on how to leverage opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n

In recent years, civil society advocates of digital public policy have grown increasingly vocal. Despite their limited resources, this community has proved effective in advancing public debate on ethical issues in the development of technology and its application. Companies and public administration alike can no longer ignore the responsibility they bear when it comes to developing and deploying AI technologies. Looking ahead, efforts to prevent \u201cethics washing\u201d will prove all the more important, as will initiating and promoting actual change.<\/p>\n

At the same time, we also observe many civil society actors emphasizing the risks posed by technology. So far, digital visions of the future with a clear sense of how to make them possible remain rare in (expert-driven) public discourse. The resources and competencies needed to harness the potential of algorithms and AI in order to solve societal problems are often lacking.<\/p>\n

Policymakers and public administration must take action<\/strong><\/p>\n

In politics, the debate on algorithms and AI has shifted from the national to the European level. With the work on the EU\u2019s Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act), it has also begun shaping concrete regulations. Questions regarding how to go about enforcing and implementing the EU AI Act at the national level are sure to follow, which will require governments to perform some sort of monitoring. However, government bodies are themselves increasingly using algorithms to carry out their work. Across the EU, there are hundreds of AI use cases<\/a><\/strong> in the public sector, though most of them are poorly documented. In order to meet the demands, the public sector urgently needs to acquire the proper competencies and monitoring mechanisms.<\/p>\n

We need to point the development of technology toward the common good<\/strong><\/p>\n

With reframe[Tech], we aim to help ensure that the design and use of algorithms and AI are more closely aligned with the common good. The following two priorities will inform the project team\u2019s activities over the next three years: \u201cMitigating Algorithmic Risks\u201d and \u201cHarnessing Potential for the Common Good.\u201d Building up competencies in the public sector and civil society will be integral to both priorities.<\/p>\n

reframe[Tech] aims to deliver \u00a0effective solutions to algorithmic risks<\/strong><\/p>\n

The focus of our \u201cMitigating Algorithmic Risks\u201d activities will be to highlight and address the dangers posed by algorithms and AI to society and to protect affected groups and individuals. In the context of our previous project, we reported on problematic use cases and developed practical tools, such as Algo.Rules<\/a> <\/strong>and an AI ethics label<\/a><\/strong>. Drawing on this work, we will leverage these principles to develop effective solutions and implement them together with our partner organizations:<\/p>\n