Global AI Ethics: Bridging Cultural Divides in Technology

The ethical implications of AI technologies have become a pressing concern for industry leaders, policymakers and researchers worldwide.

As AI systems increasingly influence critical aspects of society, from healthcare to finance, the need for robust ethical frameworks that account for diverse cultural perspectives has never been more urgent.

The global AI ethics conversation has gained momentum in recent years, with various initiatives emerging to address the complex challenges posed by AI technologies.

However, current approaches often reflect a Western-centric bias, particularly favouring perspectives from the US and Western Europe.

This limited viewpoint fails to capture the nuanced ethical considerations that arise in different cultural contexts around the world.

RegulatingAI, a non-profit organisation focused on empowering regulators, advocacy groups and industry stakeholders through education and awareness, recently partnered with World Summit AI 2024 in Amsterdam.

The summit focused on innovations and challenges posed by rapid advancements in AI, with a particular emphasis on ethical AI and the evolving relationship between humans and machines.

Cultural diversity in AI ethics

RegulatingAI's founder Sanjay Puri moderated the panel "Addressing Patient Confidentiality and Privacy in Healthcare Applications," on patient privacy in healthcare AI at the summit and says: 

A recent study by Dovetail Labs, a research organisation, highlights the critical importance of understanding AI's social impacts across diverse global settings.

The research, conducted by a team of social scientists, examined the ethical implications of AI technologies in five global regions, including Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Southern and Eastern Europe.

The study's findings underscore the need for a more inclusive approach to AI ethics that considers the unique cultural and social contexts of different regions.

As Alexa Hagerty, PhD, from Dovetail Labs and the École des hautes études en sciences sociales in Paris, explains: "Societies have unique ethical vocabularies, understandings and expectations. Terms like 'fairness' and 'privacy' can mean different things in different cultural contexts.”

The research reveals that AI technologies are likely to have markedly different social impacts depending on the cultural setting.

Perceptions and understandings of AI are profoundly shaped by local cultural and social contexts, necessitating a more nuanced approach to AI governance.

One key finding of the study is that AI-driven technologies have a pattern of entrenching social divides and exacerbating social inequality, particularly among historically marginalised groups.

This trend appears to exist on a global scale, with low- and middle-income countries potentially more vulnerable to negative social impacts of AI and less likely to benefit from positive outcomes.

Global AI initiatives and challenges

In response to these ethical challenges, various international organisations have launched initiatives to promote responsible AI development and use.

UNESCO, for example, has adopted an International global standard – the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI – in 2021.

This initiative aims to change the business model that drives AI development, going beyond principles to develop concrete and practical solutions.
Meanwhile, the 2nd Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, held in February 2024, brought together experiences and expertise from countries at different levels of technological and policy development.

The forum facilitated dialogue between the private sector, academia and civil society to address the complex challenges of AI governance.

However, the global landscape of AI governance remains fragmented.

Different regulatory approaches in the EU, US and China reflect varying cultural norms and legislative priorities.

This fragmentation poses challenges for multinational tech companies navigating diverse regulatory environments.

Industry leaders are calling for more harmonised global standards to facilitate innovation while addressing ethical concerns.

"Together, we are shaping the frameworks that will guide responsible AI development", Sanjay says.

******

Make sure you check out the latest edition of Technology Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Tech & AI LIVE 2024

******

Technology Magazine is a BizClik brand