Silicon Valley buys a Conscience

Due to protests against the staffing of Google, it was resolved-Council of ethics to artificial intelligence, a week after its creation. Such ethics committees are currently in Vogue, Amazon, and Microsoft to sponsor projects of millions of heavy Ethics. But the recommendations of such commissions rarely lead to a change in thinking. This also has to do with the self-understanding of the Tech companies. the comment by Michael Moorstedt

It was not a good week for Google. Last Tuesday, it was drawn to his hapless social network in the plug, and also the Mail App "Inbox" has been scrapped. For some good news, the establishment of an external Advisory Board on ethics in the matter of artificial intelligence provided. A group of eight representatives from business, politics, and philosophy should ensure that the group's activities in the AI area, with the own values are compatible. Ethical issues were concerns early in the development of new systems to.

Just a week after its announcement, and even before the first official meeting of the KI was dissolved Council, but again. A candidate cast in the run-up, there was backbiting, rumors, and an open letter, which was signed by 2000 employees. It has been protesting against the appointments to the Board. Specifically, it was about a two-person alien. In addition to the founder of drone manufacturer "Trumbull", which also works with the U.S. military, bothered to the Chairman of the neo-conservative think tank "Heritage Foundation".

ethics committees as far as the eye

the public display of one's own company is enough conscience currently in fashion: The "Deep Mind" has consented to the Acquisition by the group only under the condition that an appropriate forum is established. Amazon is sponsoring University research groups, which deal with Fairness in artificial intelligence. Microsoft has indulged in in the past year as a private ethics Committee. And there's also Facebook, the fed, in Germany, the planned "Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence" at the TU Munich with a couple of million Euro.

It is easy to discard this effort as a moral Fig leaves. Because the decision-making powers of such bodies is limited and often only on the Issue of recommendations. Impact on the core business are rare. Although Google has terminated the controversial "Project Maven", in which the U.S. military is using AI technology for the automated drones image analysis was equipped, after a Protest of its own employees. However, Google's competitors don't see things quite so closely.

The companies are not used to listen to the recommendations

Amazon is on the verge of receive a ten-billion Dollar contract to bring the antiquated IT infrastructure of the American military on the height of the time. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos did with the words, quote, that the United States is a great country that must be defended. Facebook is again in the criticism, because its automated systems, users of skin due to their origin, Religion, color, or gender would discriminate against.

There remains the question of whether the Tech companies are at self-regulation. Finally, it is convinced in the Silicon Valley is still largely of the "Good". The solution of idealism, the assumption that through the use of technology, problems managed, and not at all be created is deep in the self-understanding of the group anchored to the handlebar. "Looking back, I think that I am a very idealistic Person," said Mark Zuckerberg recently in an Interview. The self-deception continues to work.

What are the Alternatives, if self-restraint does not work? In fact, about Facebook CEO Zuckerberg calls for self-regulation by the authorities. But the call is not for government interference in the Tech industry is quite obvious. This shows how to process the Situation. Finally, the public sector proves in the handling of new technologies are rarely the highest finger dexterity.