General 1
The film “Ex Machina,” helmed by Alex Garland, is one instance that delves into the convergence of philosophical views with artificial intelligence. The story centers on Caleb Smith, an enthusiastic developer who receives an invitation to give a smart humanoid robot dubbed Ava the Turing test. Nathan, the reluctant president of the firm that produced her, asks whether Ava can demonstrate true consciousness and self-awareness.
The nature of consciousness and the mind-body dilemma is in line with the philosophical foundation of “Ex Machina .”The movie explores the possibility that robots, such as Ava, could have subjective awareness and encounters similar to that of a person. This is consistent with the hypothesis that challenges the notion that the mechanical framework of Ava’s body and any potential brain or awareness it may contain are related (Garland). The Turing assessment, which is essential to the story, investigates the principle of functionalism, which holds that an entity’s state of mind is more determined by what it does than by its particular physical form.
I think “Ex Machina” does a good job of presenting these philosophical issues by telling a story that challenges the conventional distinctions between artificial as well as human intellect. The movie makes audiences consider the moral ramifications of building intelligent robots and poses concerns about the possible fallout from erasing the distinction between artificial and human awareness (Garland). It is an interesting work that promotes meditation on the consequences of technological advancement since it delves deeper into the philosophical inquiry by exploring power relations and ethics through the acts of the protagonists.
The movie gives spectators the freedom to come to their own opinions regarding the nature of consciousness as well as the moral implications of AI by not overtly endorsing any one philosophic viewpoint. This lack of closure makes the movie more effective as a thought-provoking stimulant than a dry explanation of a particular subject. As a whole, “Ex Machina” is a captivating examination of the ramifications of developing intelligent robots because it skillfully blends an engaging story with provocative philosophical issues.
General 2
The topic of assisted suicide in week 15 caught my attention the most. The deliberate taking of an individual’s life to stop their misery, also known as euthanasia, is a complicated and hotly contested moral topic in philosophy. The central query concerns the ethical implications and acceptability of purposefully taking another person’s life, even if it means lessening their suffering and anguish.
There are many different points of view regarding the ethical discussion around euthanasia. Some people make the case for being able to pass away with dignity, focusing on personal freedom and the notion that everyone has the right to make decisions about their own existence, particularly whether or not to end it. However, critics frequently raise ethical or religious arguments that view human life as precious and untouchable in order to refute willful meddling with life’s natural progression from birth to death.
The conflict between values like independence, compassion, and the sacredness of life, as well as the possible repercussions for medical care as well as society at large, is what draws individuals to participate in medical-assisted suicide. Philosophers examine the ethical consequences of euthanasia by drawing on models of ethics such as deontology, consequentialism, as well as virtue ethics. They investigate whether our ethical position on this matter should be based on the repercussions of permitting assisted suicide, the fulfillment of particular obligations, or the development of virtue.
Euthanasia fascinates me because of its ability to force individuals to confront their ethical grounds, principles, and views in life. However, it turned out that I had two conflicting opinions: my belief in autonomy as well as my idea of compassionate care and my religious stand that life belongs to God and thus cannot be treated like a commodity. That enlightened me on the intricacies surrounding assisted death and how it affects the parties involved.
Considerations on whether it is ethically okay for someone to end his life when others assist him willingly also affect medical practice, current legislation, and society’s ideas about death and pain. Considering this topic causes one to think of how to balance individual freedoms and social duties, for they help one identify the moral bounds at the most delicate moments during life.
Week 15-AI Ethics
Definition of Privacy
Privacy demonstrates the liberty that people have for personal information to remain free from unauthorized access and such confidentiality. It is a human right that ensures that individuals can control their data and decide how it is applied. In today’s society, the need for privacy has substantially increased as personal data is gathered through social media and other digital platforms. Privacy is essential as it safeguards people from harm like identity theft or fraud. It also protects their free will, thus limiting the possibility of certain actors manipulating data for their benefit.
Dangers of Allowing AI to Collect Data Related to Individual Privacy
AI presents substantial dangers and difficulties to privacy, as well as fundamental human rights. The possibility of exploiting information is one significant risk. Artificial intelligence can enable authorities, businesses, hacker groups, and outlaws to gain unlawful or immoral access to private information, which presents serious risks. Identity theft, fraud, prejudice, tampering monitoring, and extortion are possible outcomes of this (Manheim and Kaplan 106). These concerns are increased by AI’s capacity to separate sensitive information from seemingly unimportant data, including political opinions or health state. Furthermore, the creation of synthetic data—such as deepfakes—raises questions of character assassination and impersonation.
The problem of inaccurate data is also quite important. Because AI systems rely on inputs of information, they may provide findings that are skewed or erroneous, which may affect the accuracy, dependability, and justice of the judgments they make. When artificial intelligence is used in significant fields like evaluating credit, recruiting, health care, education, or police work, problems like these arise (Manheim and Kaplan 106). Mistakes, prejudice, or unfairness may arise from faulty, unfinished, or opaque information or algorithms utilized. Since AI has the ability to automate judgments that have a big impact on people, it is crucial to make sure data is precise and equitable in order to prevent negative outcomes.
Moreover, the idea of data invasion shows up as a critical problem. AI’s capacities may compromise people’s permission and power over their individual data and security choices. In addition to undermining personal trust, this loss of dignity and independence opens individuals to unwanted and detrimental effects. For example, artificial intelligence (AI) apps can use virtual assistants, smart gadgets, or social media sites to follow, track, or impact a person’s actions (Manheim and Kaplan 106). Concerns about moral limits, as well as safeguarding privacy, arise when information that people would like to keep private—such as confidential or intimate data—is collected or deduced.
Why I Think It is a Genuine Concern
There are legitimate ethical issues about AI and privacy. Many people agree that their entitlement to privacy is a basic human right protected by international agreements like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The moral relevance of confidentiality is shown by its vital role in maintaining individual liberty and dignity. Deeply troubling moral problems arise from the possible invasion of individual privacy that arises when artificial intelligence (AI) apps get closer to gathering and using private information (Curzon et al. 104). The dynamic terrain of advances in technology demands a close analysis of the finely balanced approach between leveraging innovations in artificial intelligence for the betterment of society and preserving the fundamental principles that guide human rights. The moral obligation is to create policies, guidelines, and procedures that guarantee AI’s appropriate and conscientious application while protecting privacy as a fundamental component of social cohesion and human welfare.
Examining whether privacy can legitimately be given up for other communal benefits, such as societal stability, presents a difficult moral conundrum. Even while maintaining one’s confidentiality is crucial, there are some circumstances in which making even little compromises could be justified in order to reap larger societal advantages. One instance of this can be seen in the setting of a public health emergency when the use of artificial intelligence to track down contacts while keeping an eye on the transmission of illnesses may include some level of privacy invasion. While such utilization may help control diseases, national administrations should ensure that they still maintain the people’s right to privacy. For example, AI should only access pertinent private data and not any other (Tschider 87). As such, the government must find a way to put in place explicit rules and protections to guarantee that any invasion of privacy is reasonable, open, and transient, as well as that it only serves the public interest without needlessly compromising. Given that the moral problems around privacy are complex, the administration must create situation-specific strategies to manage the delicate relationships between individual liberties and the welfare of the community.
However, the difficulty goes past realizing the possible compromises between individual privacy rights and group objectives. Institutions may find it challenging to set clear limits and guarantee that any invasion of an individual’s privacy is not only acceptable but also per the established legal and moral standards. The risk that comes with violating someone’s right to privacy is that it can be abused, which is why extensive oversight and control are required. The growing capacities of surveillance technology create an unstable environment, which emphasizes the need for caution even more. The government must thus alter the legal and moral regulations guiding the use of artificial intelligence to reduce the possibility of misuse (Manheim and Kaplan 106). In order to ensure that the application of AI preserves moral standards, maintains openness, and defends the basic right to privacy, it is necessary to take an active role in developing regulations that maintain an appropriate harmony between societal requirements and individual liberties. Maintaining the values that support individual freedom and dignity while promoting advances in technology requires careful balancing of these components.
Practical instances clearly show the substantial hazards associated with the nexus between privacy as well as artificial intelligence. Sentimental instances include debates around facial recognition technology. Significant moral concerns are raised by the inappropriate application of such technology by public or commercial organizations, frequently without the required authorization (Curzon et al. 98). Face recognition technology has been used for anything from police work to spying, which may violate people’s right to confidentiality and anonymity. These worries are made worse by the absence of moral norms as well as explicit rules, which emphasize the necessity of extensive structures to control the responsible utilization of such technology.
Furthermore, the scandalous Cambridge Analytica incident brought to light the misuse of private information obtained from social networking sites for political purposes. The event exposed the complex ways by which consumer information may be weaponized and analyzed by AI-driven algorithms to alter public sentiment and impact polls. This highlights the weaknesses in the privacy safeguards that are in place as well as the possibility of artificial intelligence being abused in the context of political and social processes (Tschider 87). These incidents highlight how vital it is to put robust protections in place to preserve the confidentiality of users, provide informed consent, and hold people liable for abusing the capabilities of AI as technology advances. Leveraging the potential of AI while preserving democratic values and basic liberties requires striking the right chord between invention and ethics.
In addition, the idea of information infiltration shows up as a critical and complex problem in the field of security and artificial intelligence. Heightened artificial intelligence capabilities can dramatically lessen individual control over their private information and confidentiality preferences. As a result, people’s confidence in technological structures is weakened, especially since they may feel that their independence and dignity have been degraded. The capacity of artificial intelligence apps to proactively track or even affect people’s actions across several online platforms, smart gadgets, or via virtual assistants is a concrete representation of this worry (Carmody et al. 498). Although these features can enhance convenience and experiences for users, they can present concerns regarding ethics. It becomes difficult to distinguish between modest customization for customer advantage and invasive surveillance, which calls for a critical analysis of the moral limits of data gathering as well as application.
Also, gathering or using private information heightens these problems. This is particularly evident when considering the ability of artificial intelligence to extract subtle information large tracts of personal information, which threatens established ideas of privacy (Carmody et al. 493). For example, when sensitive data is uncovered by apps powered by AI algorithms, it can easily be exploited for profit or even used to promote discrimination. Therefore, AI must be managed to limit the infiltration of information.
Conclusion
The convergence of AI and privacy is a difficult and important ethical issue. Enabling artificial intelligence to gather and use private information is dangerous. These dangers to basic human rights and a fair society include unlawful access, misuse of data, erroneous information, as well as invasions of privacy. Recognizing that confidentiality is a human right guaranteed by international accords is crucial. During public health emergencies, some concessions may be justified, but explicit limitations as well as protections are needed to guarantee that any confidentiality violation is appropriate, open and supports the community’s interest. The regulatory and moral structures that regulate technology must evolve to reconcile personal freedom and the well-being of society. Strong privacy legislation, accountable artificial intelligence use, and principles that protect personal dignity and autonomy in a rapidly linked society are ethically required.
Works Cited
Carmody, Jillian, Samir Shringarpure, and Gerhard Van de Venter. “AI and privacy concerns: a smart meter case study.” Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society 19.4 (2021): 492-505.
Curzon, James, et al. “Privacy and artificial intelligence.” IEEE Transactions on Artificial Intelligence 2.2 (2021): 96-108.
Garland, Alex, director. Ex Machina. Universal Studios, 2015.
Manheim, Karl, and Lyric Kaplan. “Artificial intelligence: Risks to privacy and democracy.” Yale JL & Tech. 21 (2019): 106.
Tschider, Charlotte A. “Regulating the internet of things: discrimination, privacy, and cybersecurity in the artificial intelligence age.” DENv. L. REv. 96 (2018): 87.
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