AI Ethics - (MIT Press Essential Knowledge) by Mark Coeckelbergh (Paperback)

About the Book

"AI ethics is much debated today and often attracts fears about superintelligence. This book, written by a philosopher of technology engaged in research and policy on the topic, moves away from science fiction fantasies and instead focuses on concrete ethical issues raised by AI and data science. After contextualizing nightmares about AI and sketching some philosophical issues, it looks at what the technology actually is and discusses problems such as responsibility, transparency, and bias. It also gives an overview of AI policy and discusses its challenges - also in the light of climate change. The book ends with a call for more wisdom next to intelligence"--

Book Synopsis

This overview of the ethical issues raised by artificial intelligence moves beyond hype and nightmare scenarios to address concrete questions--offering a compelling, necessary read for our ChatGPT era.

Artificial intelligence powers Google's search engine, enables Facebook to target advertising, and allows Alexa and Siri to do their jobs. AI is also behind self-driving cars, predictive policing, and autonomous weapons that can kill without human intervention. These and other AI applications raise complex ethical issues that are the subject of ongoing debate. This volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series offers an accessible synthesis of these issues. Written by a philosopher of technology, AI Ethics goes beyond the usual hype and nightmare scenarios to address concrete questions.

Mark Coeckelbergh describes influential AI narratives, ranging from Frankenstein's monster to transhumanism and the technological singularity. He surveys relevant philosophical discussions: questions about the fundamental differences between humans and machines and debates over the moral status of AI. He explains the technology of AI, describing different approaches and focusing on machine learning and data science. He offers an overview of important ethical issues, including privacy concerns, responsibility and the delegation of decision making, transparency, and bias as it arises at all stages of data science processes. He also considers the future of work in an AI economy. Finally, he analyzes a range of policy proposals and discusses challenges for policymakers. He argues for ethical practices that embed values in design, translate democratic values into practices and include a vision of the good life and the good society.

About the Author

Mark Coeckelbergh is Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Vienna and author of New Romantic Cyborgs: Romanticism, Information Technology, and the End of the Machine (MIT Press).