June 14, 2024
Each year, the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg hosts the Dr. Bernard Cobetto Lecture on Contemporary Ethical Issues. Founded in 2005 by Dr. Bernard Cobetto and Ellen Cobetto, the annual lecture series hosts timely discussions on ethical issues. This year, SCI faculty Professor Peter Brusilovsky and Assistant Professor Angela Stewart were featured with Graduate School of Public and International Affairs Associate Professor Sera Linardi at the event’s panel discussion. The discussion, “Artificial Intelligence: the Present and Future of AI, Integrating Diverse Voices into AI and Understanding Opportunities, Concerns, and Threats,” investigated the uses and ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) across disciplines.
Moderated by Pitt-Greensburg President Robert G. Gregerson, the panel discussion began by focusing on the possible positive uses of AI. The panelists also discussed uses across academic, professional, and social settings.
“In education, take computer science for example, students can use AI systems like ChatGPT to troubleshoot and fix code right away. Before, students wrote code, but faced challenges finding and correcting errors. With AI, students can code more efficiently,” explained Brusilovsky.
Outside the classroom, AI can also be helpful in transcending language barriers and communicating meaningfully with others.
“I find AI to be really helpful in helping us connect with other people. I was recently traveling in Japan, and it was really amazing how easy it was for me to use translation technologies like Google Translate on my phone to read signs and talk with service workers. AI helped me complete tasks that I wouldn’t have been able to do before, and would otherwise have required specialist knowledge,” said Stewart.
Although AI can be a useful tool for many, it is important to consider the ethical implications of these systems. Privacy, accessibility, and bias are all concerns that must be addressed to ensure that AI is safe and ethical.
“We must push against unrestricted use of AI. Where exactly AI will go or what it will be able to do, we don’t know. Our goal is to educate the new generation on these concerns so that they can use AI ethically in the future. When attending university lectures like these, it’s important to not just be listeners, but to also be actors,” said Brusilovsky.
It is frequently debated whether AI can be regulated, and to what extent. Stewart emphasizes that the first step to regulating AI is to regulate data collection and be aware of bias in data sets.
“One problem with a lot of AI systems is that companies are collecting very large amounts of data, and people aren’t really able to consent to the collection of their data. One way we could regulate this is by making the terms of services on websites easy to read, quick to read, and allows people to consent better,” said Stewart. “Being ethical requires an understanding of history, context, and power structures, like how racism, sexism, and ableism affect how we go through the world. The ethical responsibility is on the people who are creating AI, regulating it, writing policy around it, and using it.”
Linardi further stressed the importance of diversity and inclusion when developing AI systems.
“AI can be another tool for those who hold power to wield it, or it can be a tool for others to reclaim the power from the ways it has been concentrated before,” she said. “We must consider this when developing AI.”
Watch a recording of the panel and learn more about the panelists.
--Alyssa Morales