Automation: An Essential Component Of Ethical AI?

TL;DR

The paper argues that automating simple steps has historically enabled computers to handle complex, abstract tasks, and suggests this approach could be key to achieving ethical AI.

Contribution

It highlights the potential of automation to transform abstract ethical concepts into implementable AI behaviors, drawing parallels with past technological advances.

Findings

Automation enabled computers to handle complex tasks previously considered too abstract.

Historical success in automating abstract domains suggests potential for ethical AI development.

Reflective analysis on automation's role in advancing AI capabilities.

Abstract

Ethics is sometimes considered to be too abstract to be meaningfully implemented in artificial intelligence (AI). In this paper, we reflect on other aspects of computing that were previously considered to be very abstract. Yet, these are now accepted as being done very well by computers. These tasks have ranged from multiple aspects of software engineering to mathematics to conversation in natural language with humans. This was done by automating the simplest possible step and then building on it to perform more complex tasks. We wonder if ethical AI might be similarly achieved and advocate the process of automation as key step in making AI take ethical decisions. The key contribution of this paper is to reflect on how automation was introduced into domains previously considered too abstract for computers.