On the Ethical Considerations of Generative Agents

TL;DR

This paper discusses the ethical challenges of generative agents, reviewing existing literature, identifying key concerns, and proposing guidelines for future research to mitigate risks and systemic issues.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of ethical considerations in generative agents and suggests future research directions and guidelines to address these concerns.

Findings

Identifies key ethical concerns in generative agents

Reviews existing literature on ethical implications

Proposes guidelines for future mitigation strategies

Abstract

The Generative Agents framework recently developed by Park et al. has enabled numerous new technical solutions and problem-solving approaches. Academic and industrial interest in generative agents has been explosive as a result of the effectiveness of generative agents toward emulating human behaviour. However, it is necessary to consider the ethical challenges and concerns posed by this technique and its usage. In this position paper, we discuss the extant literature that evaluate the ethical considerations regarding generative agents and similar generative tools, and identify additional concerns of significant importance. We also suggest guidelines and necessary future research on how to mitigate some of the ethical issues and systemic risks associated with generative agents.