Ethics in AI Seminar – presented by the Institute for Ethics in AI
This event is also part of the Humanities Cultural Programme, one of the founding stones for the
future Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.

Live Event: Thursday 26th November 5pm-7pm

Watch here: youtu.be/p3FCQTbzHTM

How can AI systems influence our decision-making in ways that undermine autonomy? Do they do so in new or more problematic ways?

To what extent can we outsource tasks to AI systems without losing our autonomy?

Do we need a new conception of autonomy that incorporates considerations of the digital self?

Autonomy is a core value in contemporary Western societies – it is a value that is invoked across a range of debates in practical ethics, and it lies at the heart of liberal democratic theory. It is therefore no surprise that AI policy documents frequently champion the importance of ensuring the protection of human autonomy. At first glance, this sort of protection may appear unnecessary – after all, in some ways, it seems that AI systems can serve to significantly enhance our autonomy. They can give us more information upon which to base our choices, and they may allow us to achieve many of our goals more effectively and efficiently. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that AI systems do pose a number of threats to our autonomy. One (but not the only) example is the fact that they enable the pervasive and covert use of manipulative and deceptive techniques that aim to target and exploit well-documented vulnerabilities in our decision-making. This raises the question of whether it is possible to harness the considerable power of AI to improve our lives in a manner that is compatible with respect for autonomy, and whether we need to reconceptualize both the nature and value of autonomy in the digital age. In this session, Carina Prunkl, Jessica Morley and Jonathan Pugh engage with these general questions, using the example of mHealth tools as an illuminating case study for a debate about the various ways in which an AI system can both enhance and hinder our autonomy.