The Short Anthropological Guide to the Study of Ethical AI

TL;DR

This paper introduces anthropological perspectives on AI ethics, emphasizing societal impacts and how AI challenges our understanding of human values across different cultures.

Contribution

It provides an accessible introduction to AI ethics from an anthropological viewpoint, bridging social science and technological innovation for broader understanding.

Findings

Anthropology offers valuable insights into AI's societal implications.

Understanding AI through social science can inform ethical frameworks.

The guide helps non-experts grasp AI's impact on human values.

Abstract

Over the next few years, society as a whole will need to address what core values it wishes to protect when dealing with technology. Anthropology, a field dedicated to the very notion of what it means to be human, can provide some interesting insights into how to cope and tackle these changes in our Western society and other areas of the world. It can be challenging for social science practitioners to grasp and keep up with the pace of technological innovation, with many being unfamiliar with the jargon of AI. This short guide serves as both an introduction to AI ethics and social science and anthropological perspectives on the development of AI. It intends to provide those unfamiliar with the field with an insight into the societal impact of AI systems and how, in turn, these systems can lead us to rethink how our world operates.