AI Ethics News (November 12, 2024)

More academic institutions are taking proactive steps to address the ethical dilemmas associated with artificial intelligence. Two initiatives, the Georgia Tech Atlanta Interdisciplinary AI (AIAI) Network and the AI Now Institute’s ongoing advocacy for AI regulation, are emblematic of this movement, striving to ensure AI technologies develop in ways that promote justice, equity, and public well-being.

Georgia Tech's AI Ethics Network

Georgia Tech has launched the Atlanta Interdisciplinary AI (AIAI) Network in collaboration with other local universities, aiming to tackle the pressing ethical challenges that AI poses. Funded by a $1.3 million grant from the Mellon Foundation, the AIAI Network seeks to directly address issues of AI bias and inequity, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable communities in Atlanta. This initiative is a powerful example of grassroots action designed to ensure that AI benefits all segments of society, especially those most at risk of being marginalized by technological advances.

The AIAI Network formally launched at an event held at Science Gallery Atlanta on October 4, bringing together computing, humanities, and social justice researchers from Georgia Tech, Clark Atlanta University, Emory University, and community partner DataedX. Key figures involved include Carl DiSalvo, a professor at the Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing and co-principal investigator (co-PI), and Andre Brock, an associate professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, who serves on the network’s steering committee.

According to DiSalvo, the idea for the AIAI Network had been in the works for years, but it was only with the support of the Mellon Foundation that the researchers could secure the resources needed to make the project a reality. The grant allows the network to hire its first graduate students for the 2023-2024 academic year, providing essential funding that will have an immediate impact on advancing research at the intersection of AI, computing, humanities, and social justice.

Brandeis Marshall, CEO of DataedX Group and co-PI, emphasized that the AIAI Network aims to bring Atlanta voices, including those of small businesses and nonprofits, to the forefront of AI conversations. “We want people within Atlanta to connect with it, understand it, and be a part of it,” Marshall said. “It’s for the everyday person, not just the academics.” The goal is to make AI conversations accessible and relevant to the broader community, ensuring that Atlanta residents feel included in shaping the future of technology.

Lauren Klein, PI and associate professor of English at Emory, underscored the importance of a humanistic perspective on AI issues, particularly around systemic racism, sexism, and structural oppression. “The proposed technical solutions are not coming from people who have expertise in these issues of systemic racism, sexism, and structural oppression,” Klein said. “The people who have expertise with these issues and how they surface in AI are humanities scholars. We want to bring humanities researchers to the table with technical researchers as equal partners.”

What sets the AIAI Network apart is its community-focused approach, combining technical expertise with direct engagement. Instead of treating AI biases as purely academic problems, the network integrates local perspectives to unearth how these biases impact everyday lives. By leveraging interdisciplinary insights from the fields of computer science, ethics, sociology, and law, the initiative seeks to dismantle systemic biases within AI systems and develop technologies that uplift, rather than disadvantage, those communities that often find themselves left behind in conversations about progress.

The Mellon Foundation's support not only funds graduate research but also provides seed money for grants to other Atlanta-based researchers. This initiative aims to bring diverse local stakeholders, including humanities scholars, community partners, and technical experts, together to create solutions that resonate with and are accessible to those most affected by AI technologies.

The AIAI Network underscores the necessity of local, context-driven solutions to AI’s challenges. By focusing on specific, tangible outcomes for communities in Atlanta, the project aims to create practical pathways for equitable AI development—an approach that could serve as a blueprint for other cities grappling with similar issues. Additionally, this focus on community engagement aligns with the broader trends in generative AI, which are increasingly being integrated into local contexts to foster innovation ecosystems. By applying generative AI in ways that are responsive to specific community needs, initiatives like the AIAI Network demonstrate how AI can be a catalyst for equitable development, rather than a force that exacerbates existing disparities.

AI Now Institute's Continued Advocacy for AI Regulation

Parallel to Georgia Tech's local efforts, the AI Now Institute continues its prominent advocacy for AI regulation on a broader, systemic level. With a sustained focus on countering the concentration of power in the tech industry, the AI Now Institute remains vocal about the societal risks posed by unregulated AI development. Their research and advocacy highlight how the unchecked growth of AI can exacerbate existing social inequities, concentrating influence and resources in the hands of a few large corporations, often at the expense of public welfare.

The AI Now Institute's work is grounded in the conviction that AI should be subject to democratic oversight. By advocating for policies that prioritize transparency and accountability, they challenge the prevalent narratives that view AI as an inherently neutral or purely technical tool. Instead, they emphasize that AI is a socio-technical system that carries human values, biases, and consequences, making regulation indispensable if we are to avoid deepening societal inequalities.

The Institute’s advocacy is not merely theoretical; it has increasingly contributed to public policy discussions, pushing for frameworks that ensure AI technologies align with broader social goals, including fairness and equity. By insisting that ethical AI development should be at the core of technological progress, the AI Now Institute is shaping a future regulatory landscape that aspires to bring technology under social, rather than purely corporate, control. This push for regulation is especially crucial in the context of generative AI, which has demonstrated both tremendous potential for creative innovation and significant risks related to misinformation, bias, and the concentration of data control. By framing generative AI within regulatory discussions, the AI Now Institute aims to ensure that the innovation ecosystem develops in a way that prioritizes public interests and societal well-being.

Moving Forward

These initiatives highlight the essential work being done by academic and research institutions to grapple with the ethical challenges posed by AI technologies. The AIAI Network and the AI Now Institute’s endeavors reflect a growing recognition that the impact of AI is not solely technical but deeply human, affecting our communities, rights, and opportunities.

The interdisciplinary nature of these projects—bridging computer science, law, philosophy, and community activism—is particularly notable. It speaks to the understanding that creating ethical, equitable AI requires contributions from all domains of human thought. As AI continues to transform nearly every aspect of our lives, the efforts of such ethics centers are critical in ensuring that technological innovation is balanced by moral stewardship. By advancing ethical frameworks and grounding their work in community needs, these institutions are helping to shape a future in which AI serves humanity rather than the other way around.

Moreover, these trends reflect how generative AI is increasingly embedded in the broader innovation ecosystem, driving new opportunities for creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving while raising important questions about governance and equity. The initiatives at Georgia Tech and the AI Now Institute highlight the dual focus needed in AI development: fostering innovation that drives societal benefits while implementing governance structures that mitigate risks and prevent harm. This balanced approach is key to ensuring that generative AI contributes positively to the evolving landscape of technology and society.