It has always been the case that the benefits of artificial intelligence technology were followed by the drawbacks of relying on these technologies. With the introduction of each new system that necessitates the sharing of personal and biometric data, a school of thought has emerged that expresses worries about the ethical and privacy implications of using the systems. One of the major revelations in a recent investigative study by Reuters is that the three US technology behemoths Google, IBM, and Microsoft have been resisting and turning down projects because of ethical concerns.
Reuters conducted interviews with the AI ethics chiefs at the three major companies in order to prove that all of the technologies were subject to restrictions imposed by panels comprised of executives and other senior executives. Specifically, the paper highlights how these technology behemoths are forging a path toward balance by capitalising on lucrative technologies while also taking their social duties into consideration. This group of digital heavyweights is progressively rejecting technology that use facial recognition, voice imitating software, and emotion analysis software, among other things.
The Googler’s Conundrum
Google Cloud has long been a leader in the development of artificial intelligence capabilities to assist financial organisations such as HSBC and Deutsche Bank in detecting suspicious transactions and crimes. In September 2020, however, Reuters reports that Google Cloud chose to reject down the offer because it was preparing to assist yet another company in the banking sector.
After weeks of internal debate, Google Cloud experts decided against developing an artificial intelligence to assist a financial institution in making decisions about lending money, citing concerns that the project would be unethically questionable. While the AI-backed credit scoring business projected to have significant growth on Google, the AI could retain racial and gender prejudice from the data and patterns it would be educated on despite the gamble on prospective growth. Google has stated that it will refrain from entering into any agreements with financial institutions or service providers that are related to creditworthiness until the issues are rectified.
You can put an end to immoral technology with Microsoft.
Microsoft has banned software that imitates voices after a two-year review. They had to decide whether their voice mimicry text would help restore the speech of those who were unable to do so, or if it could be used to create profound fakes. Individuals could impersonate other people without their permission by using speech mimicking technology.
It was, however, given the thumbs up in February of this year by a panel of human rights, data science, and engineering experts who emphasised AI’s benefits. Their access to technology, on the other hand, has been severely restricted. Before using the technology, a user’s or subject’s consent must be obtained, and a team of “Responsible AI Champs” must be trained on the policy of permitted technology purchases.
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