“Must not replace people”
Ethics Council wants to tie down AI
03/20/2023, 11:35 am
The German Ethics Council warns that artificial intelligence cannot replace human intelligence, responsibility and evaluation. However, the experts do see opportunities in the use of AI – in medicine of all places, albeit with limitations.
The German Ethics Council has spoken out in favor of strict limitations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI). “The use of AI must expand human development and must not reduce it,” said Alena Buyx, chairwoman of the German Ethics Council, on the statement “Human and machine – challenges posed by artificial intelligence”. “AI must not replace humans,” emphasized Buyx.
The German Ethics Council is an independent body in Germany that deals with ethical issues and challenges in the fields of science, medicine and healthcare. The 26 members are appointed by the President of the German Bundestag. The Bundestag or the Federal Government can commission the Ethics Council to advise on specific topics.
For the medical sector, the Ethics Council also lists reasons why the use of AI could make sense: With the help of AI, supply bottlenecks due to staff shortages could be alleviated and more precise diagnoses could be made. When developing and using AI products, however, a loss of medical competence must be avoided. The privacy of patients must be reconciled with the intensive use of data in medical research.
Beware of discrimination
For the use of AI by public administration, citizens would have to be protected from discrimination. Machine recommendations should not be followed blindly. Furthermore, individual case considerations as well as the rights of inspection and objection of those affected would have to be guaranteed. “AI applications cannot replace human intelligence, responsibility and evaluation,” said Julian Nida-Rümelin, Deputy Chairman of the German Ethics Council.
According to the recommendations, the use of AI in school education should not be controlled by technological visions, but should be based on fundamental educational ideas. It should also be limited to items that have been shown to enhance learners’ competencies and social interactions.
In the area of public communication and opinion-forming, the Ethics Council recommends, among other things, further development of the rules for online platforms with regard to the selection and moderation of content as well as personalized advertising and data trading. He also calls for better access to platform data for research and recommends considering the establishment of a digital communication infrastructure under public law.