Editorial: Shaping Ethical Futures in Brain-Based and Artificial Intelligence Research
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Editorial: Shaping Ethical Futures in Brain‑Based and Artificial Intelligence Research Elisabeth Hildt1 · Kelly Laas1 · Monika Sziron1
© Springer Nature B.V. 2020
In discussions of the ethical and social implications of artificial intelligence (AI), a good starting point is: How is AI and AI-related technology similar to and different from related contexts and technology? It seems helpful not to attempt to start the debate on ethical and social implications of AI from scratch, but to refer and relate to already existing and sometimes longstanding debates and research. Two fields seem to be particularly useful here: The discussion of philosophical, ethical and social aspects of technology on the one hand, and the context of brain-related sciences, philosophy of mind, bioethics and neuroethics on the other hand. With this topical collection, we focus on the second approach, i.e. we think about ethical implications of AI and neurotechnology by thinking about and drawing upon similarities and differences between brains and computer technology, neuroscience, behavioral, and cognitive science and computer science, starting from concepts and conceptions used to describe characteristics of humans and non-human animals and reflecting on how these can be used in or transferred to AI.
Brain‑Based and Artificial Intelligence Technology plays an increasingly important role in all of our lives. Video conferencing allows us to work and socialize from home, databases and algorithms allow us to synthesize huge quantities of data, and artificial intelligence helps us to make informed decisions in settings from the doctor’s office to the loan office. Recent estimates predict that investment in artificial intelligence will be around $15 trillion by 2030, and investment in information and communication technologies (ICT) might even top this (Holmes 2019). Since Alan Turing’s paper, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” discussed how to build intelligent machines and how to test their intelligence, artificial intelligence has been a growing field
* Elisabeth Hildt [email protected] 1
Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, Illinois Institute of Technology, 10 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
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(Turing 1950). The 1970s saw an expansion of AI into different research fields such as machine learning, robotics, intelligent control and pattern recognition, and today’s discoveries and advancements continue to lead to new potential applications (Pan 2016). These include AI neural networks developed by Google, IBM, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple to name a few, the expanding use of facial recognition software in criminal justice, education, and advertising, and autonomous systems that are programmed to make ethical decisions in a variety of different settings. While AI is affecting nearly every sector of industry, every discipline in academia, and every part of our daily lives, the shared histories and futures of AI and neuroscience is of primary interest when we consider the phrase
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