Study on ethics in the use of AI
Artificial intelligence, abbreviated AI, is circulating more and more in everyday work. 92 percent of AI "leaders" already rely on special training for their technology experts. However, what role do ethics play in this?
An ethical approach to AI is becoming increasingly important in the business environment - as a recent study by Forbes Insights shows. One thing is becoming increasingly clear: AI has an impact on the everyday lives of all consumers. This makes an ethical framework all the more important, as Rumman Chowdhury, who is responsible for AI at Accenture Applied Intelligence, is calling for:
"Companies have begun to address concerns and missteps related to AI. This is a positive development, but it is not enough. What is needed are forward-looking, specific and technical guidelines for the development of AI systems that are secure, transparent, traceable and clearly assigned in terms of responsibilities. After all, this is the only way to avoid unexpected consequences and compliance challenges that harm individuals, business and society. Data Scientists desperately need such policies."
Leading AI companies also recognize the connection between the successful use of this technology and analytics. 79 percent of these "leaders" say that analytics plays a crucial role for AI in their company; this is said by only 14 percent of the less successful AI users to date.
"Those who have implemented AI understand that success with AI and success with analytics are closely related," said Oliver Schabenberger, COO and CTO of SAS. "For these companies, analytics already plays a central role in AI."
Ethics, a big word
According to the study, 70 percent of companies worldwide that already use AI conduct ethical training for their IT employees. Sixty-three percent even have ethics committees to evaluate how AI is handled. The AI Momentum, Maturity and Models for Success study, conducted by Forbes Insights with support from SAS, Accenture Applied Intelligence and Intel, surveyed 305 business leaders worldwide, more than half of whom are chief information officers, chief technology officers or chief analytics officers.
The results show a clear correlation between "thought" leadership and ethical awareness. Companies that describe their AI implementation as successful are also at the forefront when it comes to taking responsibility for AI: 92 percent of leading AI companies (so-called AI "leaders") train their technology experts in ethical issues, compared to just 48 percent of companies that are not yet ready when it comes to AI use.
Trust is good, control is ...
A common - and false - assumption is that AI works without human involvement. The study clearly shows that leading AI companies view technology oversight as essential. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) report at least weekly reviews of their AI results, while only 33 percent of AI "laggards" conduct such regular checks. Forty-three percent of AI "leaders" have a process for reviewing questionable results (only 28 percent of others do).
Overall, the report brings to light that control processes still have a long way to go before they can keep pace with advances in artificial intelligence.
It stands to reason that companies want to take action on ethical AI and maintain control over AI because they are aware that poor outcomes can reflect negatively on them. Of the companies already using AI or planning to do so, 60 percent say they worry about the impact of AI on customer interactions - whether their actions signal less empathy or customers may trust them less.
The most important results of the study at a glance:
- 46 percent of AI companies have already implemented the technology extensively. Other companies are still in the experimentation or prototype phase.
- Overall, 72 percent of companies are using AI in one or more business areas.
- Fifty-one percent of respondents using AI point to easier decision making, higher customer acquisition close rates, and increased operational productivity.
- 64 percent confirm that their employees can focus more on strategic than operational tasks thanks to AI.
Despite these positive effects, nearly 20 percent still sense clear resistance from their employees out of concern for their jobs, and 57 percent of employers express specific concern about the impact AI could have on their relationships with employees (because employees might feel threatened or overwhelmed).
The complete study is available at here ready for download.
