97 Things About Ethics Everyone in Data Science Should Know

Chapter 7. Understanding Passive Versus Proactive Ethics

Bill Schmarzo

Chief Innovation Officer, Hitachi Vantara

Several friends have challenged me to get involved in the AI ethics discussion. I certainly do not have any special ethics training. But then again, maybe I do. I’ve been going to church most Sundays (not just on Christmas Eve) since I was a kid, and have been taught a multitude of “ethics” lessons from the Bible. So, respectfully, let me take my best shot at sharing my thoughts about the critical importance of the AI ethics topic.

What Is AI Ethics?

Ethics is defined as the moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or actions—the principles of “right and wrong” that are generally accepted by an individual or a social group. “Right or wrong” behaviors are not easily codified in a simple mathematical equation. And this is what makes the AI ethics discussion so challenging and so important.

To understand the AI ethics quandary, one must first understand how an AI model makes decisions:

1. The AI model relies on the creation of “AI rational agents” that interact with the environment to learn the rewards and penalties associated with actions.

2. The rewards and penalties against which the “AI rational agents” seek to make the “right” decisions are framed by the AI utility function.

3. To create an “AI rational agent” that makes the “right” decision, the AI utility function ...