AI, or artificial intelligence, refers to developing computer systems that have the ability to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. AI aims to simulate human cognitive processes in machines, such as learning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. A common approach to AI involves machine learning, a subset of AI focusing on algorithms and models that can learn patterns from data.
Machine learning can significantly aid decision-making by leveraging data and algorithms to generate insights, predictions, and recommendations. Machine learning can contribute to decision-making processes from as trivial as telling a person what movie he should watch based on his preferences, browsing behaviour, and historical data to telling a company the historical sales data, market trends, and external factors to predict future sales volumes so the company can plan future productions, and to analyse national healthcare data to help predict disease outbreaks for preparation.
Indeed, machine learning and AI generally support humans in making a decision. However, reliance on AI in problems, especially those that require ethical and moral judgment, would gravely impact human ethical and moral systems. How does this happen?
Unlike humans, AI lacks genuine moral agency and the capability to possess moral responsibility or consciousness. While AI can be programmed to follow specific ethical guidelines, it does not have inherent moral intuition or understanding of complex ethical dilemmas. This nature of AI can lead to challenges when its systems encounter situations that require subjective judgment, interpretation, or moral reasoning.
Speaking of the ability to judge and reason, AI systems learn from large sets of data, but if those datasets contain biases that already exist in society, AI algorithms can inadvertently learn and reinforce those biases. AI systems may propagate socially discriminatory practices when these biases are not addressed. This situation undermines moral principles like fairness and justice because the AI algorithms may unintentionally make decisions or judgments that discriminate against certain groups or perpetuate the existing societal inequalities.
Regarding moral values and religious beliefs, AI algorithms may unintentionally make decisions that contradict the religious teachings of certain people.
Let’s consider a scenario where a person, who follows a religious tradition that strictly prohibits the consumption of alcoholic beverages, asks an AI system for a recipe recommendation. The person specifies that they want a refreshing beverage for a social gathering. The AI, based on its training data and the popularity of certain alcoholic beverages, suggests a cocktail recipe that contains alcoholic ingredients.
In this case, the AI-generated suggestion contradicts the religious belief of abstaining from alcohol. The person may find the AI’s recommendation inappropriate or conflicting with their religious principles. In this case, it is still considered fortunate if people can distinguish what is morally and ethically accepted according to their belief system.
However, the increasing dependency on AI systems for decision-making may still impact human moral reasoning. When individuals consistently defer to AI for moral judgments, there is a risk of diminishing their moral judgment and critical thinking skills, potentially leading to an ethical “outsourcing” where personal moral responsibility and agency are diminished.
While being amazed by the ability of AI, we must appreciate the nature that we have, and AI lacks, such as consciousness and mindfulness. Human consciousness has certain qualities that make it different and, in many ways, better than AI. Firstly, humans have subjective experiences and can feel emotions, sensations, and perceptions, which AI cannot. Secondly, humans are creative and imaginative, able to think beyond existing patterns and develop new ideas. AI can generate output based on existing data, but it does not possess true creativity or imagination like humans do.
Additionally, humans have moral reasoning and ethics, allowing us to make ethical judgments and consider the consequences of our actions. AI lacks an inherent sense of morality. Humans are also capable of self-awareness and self-reflection, thinking about our thoughts and having a sense of personal identity. AI systems lack true self-awareness and introspection.
Lastly, humans have contextual understanding and common sense, being able to interpret situations based on prior knowledge and context. AI often struggles with common sense reasoning and comprehending nuanced situations. While AI has its strengths, human consciousness possesses unique abilities and experiences that set us apart.
Above all, machine learning can play a role in ethical and moral decision-making. Still, it is essential to recognise that the responsibility ultimately lies with humans. Machine learning models learn from data and algorithms and make decisions based on patterns and correlations within that data. However, these models do not possess moral reasoning or ethical judgment on their own.
Therefore, it is important to note that while machine learning can enhance decision-making, it should not be solely relied upon. Human judgment and expertise are still crucial for considering ethical implications and context to make well-informed decisions.