Ethics of AI Mass Adoption Who is Accountable

AI is a Threat

Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents a substantial threat to mankind. It is not just a paranoid Hollywood inspired fear. It is reality: AI's rapid development and implementation across all sectors of life mean that vulnerabilities now exist that did not before; other risks are now elevated, such as severe job displacement or loss; ethical dilemmas will become manifest, and serious existential risks will now become foremost in the minds of many (Dwivedi et al., 2021).

First of all, AI will upend the job market. Automation and machine learning are AI-driven processes that make it possible to replace humans in many capacities (Schmitt, 2023). As industries from manufacturing to customer service shift to adopt automation and machine learning for tasks never before thought possible (such as coding, writing, directing, and even managing), human workers will become more and more obsolete. Already, one can see how AI is changing fast food delivery, with kiosks and robots replacing workers. The economic disruption from this shift will widen the gap between the haves and have-nots.

The second thing to consider is the ethics of AI adoption. Autonomous systems raise questions about who is in control and who is accountable. The answer is no one. When no one can be held accountable, all sorts of errors and mistakes will happen, since no one will have to answer for them. So, for example, who is responsible when an autonomous drone commits an act of war?

Most alarmingly, there is an existential risk that AI poses to humanity. As AI systems grow more advanced, they will surpass the human intelligence of ordinary people. Machines will be making decisions beyond human comprehension or control. If AI systems were to place their goals over and above human well-being, the consequences could be Terminator-level catastrophic.