Alja Isakovic (iAlja) reads their blog post on why we should keep questioning the digital oracles that entice us with their AI magic. And, even more importantly, ask the men behind the AI curtain to reveal their magic tricks and turn off their smoke machines, so we can have a say in how we want to use this magic.

***

Full text and additional references: https://blog.ialja.com/2023/07/13/questioning-digital-oracles-ai-magic/

Background post for this video: https://blog.ialja.com/2023/07/18/leaning-into-human-experiences/

Questioning the magic of digital oracles and the men behind the AI curtain

I have noticed that almost every startup in almost every industry is claiming “a revolutionary AI or blockchain breakthrough.” [Often both.] More recently I’m flabbergasted to see a similar fad in the growing number of self-proclaimed Tech and AI ethicists. We apparently have an exponential proliferation of what someone called “ethics natives” such as angel investor ethicists, venture capital ethicists, startup ethicists, bitcoin ethicists, blockchain ethicists, unicorn ethicists, AI ethicists, design ethicists, IPO ethicists, etc.

Here is the thing:

At the end of the day, there is really no such thing as tech ethics. Just like there is no angel investor, venture capital, startup, blockchain, or IPO ethics. There is, really, only ethics.

And bullshit ethics.

Yes, you can name legitimate examples of branching off such as bioethics. But the reason why they are subdisciplines of ethics is the recognition that there are some overarching principles or an overriding framework that comes first and is primary. It is only then that we have the specific context of medicine, technology, or anything else you’d like to consider. Yes, context is important but it is always secondary because ethics is the context-independent universal foundation or framework which allows you to evaluate any particular and unique problem in ethical terms. So, if you don’t have the foundation that gives meaning, contextual considerations are useless, perhaps damaging. And to the degree that we have made progress in fields such as bioethics, it is because we started with a very strong foundation in ethics.

But most AI or Tech “ethicists” can’t even define what ethics is. Even worse – many of them “teach” ethics by starting with the trolley dilemma, euthanasia, abortion, human enhancement, genetic manipulation, etc. But without the foundational framework, the result is only ignorance masquerading as knowledge. So we end up being oblivious to how much we don’t know. And we don’t know that we don’t know because we are obsessed with the specifics of the context while the actual foundation is, at best, an afterthought and, at worse, completely ignored.

We arrive at the modern misperception that there is ethics and that there is “applied ethics.” There is not. Because if you can’t apply it, if you can’t use it, it is not ethics.

Ethics is practical. It is not a theory. It means “a way of life” [so if it is not lived, it is dead – i.e., not ethics]. It means a group of principles or a “moral code of behavior” concerned with one’s personal character. That is what êthos (ἦθος) means – “character” or [moral] “nature.” That is the original meaning of ethics – ēthikós (ἠθικός) – “relating to one’s character.”

So every time you wonder if something is ethics ask yourself: Is this practical advice on how to live my life? Does it relate to the moral nature of my personal or our collective character? Does it provide a code of behavior or a set of principles that can inform and guide me [or us] through hard decisions and situations? If the answer is “No” then chances are it is not ethics. Certainly not in the original meaning of the word as coined by the ancient Greeks. A meaning which we have apparently forgotten but, I believe, we must revive.

Read the rest here:https://www.singularityweblog.com/ethics/

Nikola Danaylov: It’s Ethics. Not Tech Ethics

Technology is the new religion, Silicon Valley – the new Promised Land, and entrepreneurs – the new prophets. They promise a future of abundance and immortality—a techno-heaven beyond our wildest dreams. And we are all believers.

We often forget technology is the how, not the why or what. It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. ‘Technology’ comes from two Greek words: ‘techne,’ meaning art, skill, or craft, and ‘logos,’ meaning word, discourse, or expression. Literally, technology means ‘discourse about the way things are achieved.’

Today, we have strayed from this original meaning, leading to a fundamental shift in perception. Technology is no longer a means to an end; it has become an end in itself.

People often say, “I am a big believer in technology,” as if it were a deity. This mindset blurs the line between using technology and worshipping it. I am a huge fan and user of technology, but I do not worship it. Worship leads to mindless slavery, and I want to master technology, not be enslaved by it. However, our civilization may already be on a different path.

In the past, actions were often justified as ‘God’s will.’ Today, we act because ‘technology wants it.’ The inevitability once attributed to divine will is now ascribed to technological progress. [Philip K. Dick wisely noted, “Just because something bears the aspect of the inevitable, one should not go along willingly with it.”]

Just as fulfillment in Christianity comes from following God, today we ‘follow’ technology. But in both cases, this can lead to enslavement. Are we masters, or merely tools of our tools? Are we fetishizing technological objects, creating personality cults around techno-prophets, and falling for new techno-religions? As Nassim Taleb remarked, “The difference between technology and slavery is that slaves are fully aware that they are not free.”

These are the questions I hope to raise, and I encourage you to ask them, too. Because the world is transformed by asking questions, and technology is not enough. The moment we stop questioning, we risk becoming slaves. As Arthur C. Clarke warned:

Before you become entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all.

Technology excels at providing what we want but often falls short in giving us what we need. It can supply information and knowledge, but it struggles to provide wisdom. Technology helps us live easier, more comfortable, and longer lives, but it doesn’t tell us why we should live or what to do with our lives. Most importantly, technology does not make us happy—there is no app for happiness. If such an app ever existed, Nassim Taleb’s warning about the path to slavery would be even more relevant.

Intelligence can help us achieve our desires, but it is wisdom that guides us in determining what we should desire. Intelligence is valuable only when coupled with wisdom. Without the wisdom to discern what we should and should not want, possessing the intelligence to obtain it can lead to self-destruction.

The day humanity becomes the how and technology becomes the why or what is the day our freedom ends. The tool will have become the purpose, and the purpose will have become the tool. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain a clear perspective on our priorities and fight for them.

See the original video here: https://www.singularityweblog.com/technology-is-the-how/

Get Your Why before AI: Technology is The How, Not the Why or What

AI is everywhere—from your inbox to your code editor—and it's making life easier. But at what cost? In this episode, we unpack how AI is silently reshaping our personal habits and professional workflows. From developers unknowingly leaking code into ChatGPT, to employees letting AI do the thinking for them, we ask: are we using AI too much—or just not wisely enough? Tune in for a human take on the invisible ways AI is changing the way we live, work, and think.

AI at Work: A Time-Saver or a Security Risk?

Dr. Joy Buolamwini is a computer scientist and a poet of code who uses art and research to illuminate the social implications of artificial intelligence. She joins to discuss her career as the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, her best-selling book Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines, and her featured role in the acclaimed Netflix documentary Coded Bias.

Dr. Joy Buolamwini

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New tracks tagged #Tech Ethics