Developing Ethical Ratings for AI

Ethical Consumer Research Association (ECRA) have announced that they may develop a rating standard for artificial intelligence (AI) use by businesses.

Factors including energy consumption, human rights, accountability mechanisms and workers’ rights would all be up for examination.

Ruairidh Fraser at Ethical Consumer magazine has written a piece about the rapid growth of AI and the groups trying to keep pace in setting the ethical boundaries around the technology.

He says that the following areas of consensus are emerging around the ethics of AI:

Safeguarding users from AI-driven surveillance and data misuse via transparent algorithms, public accountability mechanisms, and legally binding regulatory frameworks.
The importance of sustainability: in both reducing its energy footprint and in ensuring AI can be harnessed to support genuine emissions reductions.
Addressing biases that currently reinforce inequality, via research and regulation that can reflect global perspectives.
Somehow placing people over profit in order to not exacerbate human rights violations, accelerate climate breakdown, widen global economic disparities, or ultimately allow AI to generate further injustice rather than benefit for humanity.