Ethical and Social Implications of Artificial Intelligence

: -A famous book authored by a Chinese;The Three Body Problem’s main protagonist Wang Miano made a statement that probably would provoke all to think, “Where will be the end of science? Is it immortal?”[1]This question may lurk or peep through the window of every cognitive mind especially in the context of the discourse revolving around the consternation that‘AI will probably shape and design the 21^st century’.[2]

George Orwell envisioned that one-day people would love the technology so much that they would allow themselves to be under the deluge of its influence. Mankind would be deprived of its autonomy, maturity and history. Even man’s cerebral faculty would be replaced by artificial super intelligence.[3]Anotherauthor, Issac Asimov, who became prolific in providing the details of the time when machine supersedes human intelligence in his famous science fictions.[4]These predictions on unprecedented and revolutionary scientificinnovations and their proliferation have come to pass probably in the form of Artificial Intelligence. Eventually the development of Artificial Intelligence contributes to the quality of life, medical innovations and human enhancement on the one hand, but on the other, an apprehension for the possibility of losing employments and surveillance societies looms large.[5] The emergence of an era when AI communicates with human beings and develops a deep relationship with them breeds questions of different dimensions: what is AI? Can it create an artificial life? Does it have the potential to produce super intelligence? What will be the ethical and societal implications?Wrestling with these questions and grappling with the appalling issues become a paramount importance today.

Artificial Intelligence can hardly be defined exhaustively as it has an oceanic expanse with an embedded enormous complexity. Providing an expert’s approach to its definition is not the writer’s intention. Rather, a functional approach to it has been adopted through a simplified manner to curve out a space for discussion on ethical and social implications of Artificial Intelligence.

A generalised definition has been provided by Selin Akgun and Christine Greenhow, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the branch of Computer Science that deals with the simulation of intelligent behaviour in computers and their capacity to mimic, and ideally improvehuman behaviour.”^[6]  John MacCarthy at the Dartmouth Conference (1956) attempted to define AI “as the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.”^[7] So, AI is a technique to behave like humans. Human intelligence comprises planning, learning, problem solving and making choices. The genesis of Artificial Intelligence can even predate the Dartmouth Conference with the Turing Test conducted by Alan Turing in 1950. It was conducted to ascertain human intelligence in machines. The machine was engaged in a conversation with other human by means of interpretation. If the human could interpret what the computer said or indicated or if the human failed to differentiate between man and the machine, the machine passed the test.[8]

Elaine Rich and others have shed adequate light on the task domain of Artificial Intelligence as they affirm that it incorporates ‘Mundane task (vision, speech, comprehension, generation, translation, reasoning capacity with general logical sense and Robotic control. Under the Formal task it undertakes games of super intelligence such as Chess, Backgammon, Checker’s-Go and it even solves complicated mathematical calculations such as Geometry, Logic, Integral calculous and proving properties of programs.  And designing, fault finding, manufacturing plan along with scientific analysis, medical diagnosis and financial analytical explanation are subsumed under the Expert task.’[9]

Therefore, it is voluminous in nature, it is hard to characterize accurately as it is not subject to immutability and it differs from data by being organized in a way that corresponds to the ways it will be used.[10]Grand Master Gary Kasparov was defeated by the IBM Deep Blue computer in 1997 in chess. A machine defeated him! [11] All these point to the fact that AI may not operate like a mere machine, but like an inorganic human.  The range of its utility can be from facial recognition to the most critical surgery from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, from AI based clouds (Amazon Alexa, Google Go or Apple Siri) and nomenclature of digital payment in India ChatGPT.[12]From buying preferences of Narrow AI to building of systems surpassing human intelligence of Artificial General Intelligence.[13]In the movie ‘Her’ the self-operating system called Samantha can even name itself.[14]

Now, another critically core element of AI is algorithms which is a set of rules for computers to abide by in problem solving operations to accomplish an intended endeavour.Algorithm derived from the mathematician Muhammad-Ibn-Musa al Khwarizmi (c.a. 780-850).[15]In essence, it can be said that the all-computer programs are algorithms. AI algorithms are applied where human behaviour is essential. Even in Machine learning data use and algorithms are employed which is typically done by humans.[16]In other words, ‘it is (algorithms) precisely defined set of mathematical or logical operations for the performance of a particular task.’[17] Not only that it will enable the computer to learn a system by which it brings a solution to a problem. For an instance, Amazon uses algorithms to develop statistics to trace what products people may buy or purchase, algorithms used to sort job applications and makes suggestions on the applicants most suitable for the jobs, it even makes comparisons among many X-ray plates. Self-riding vehicles will probably dominate the roads.[18]

Now, as far as the achievements of AI are concerned, it seems to be on its way to the pinnacle of success and has invaded almost all the domains of human intelligence and activity such as business, logistics, manufacturing, transportation, health care, education, state governance, etc.[19] Machine Learning (ML), natural language processing and computer vision are increasingly permeating and spreading to various disciplines and aspects of our society. In other terms, if it is said that AI, which is an inorganic human intelligence, is snatching away the authority and power from the hands of its masters, in no way it will be an exaggeration. In fact, AI has opened a new horizon of human development that will eventually add a unique dimensionto the modus-operandi of every sphere of human function ability.

As the fact of the matter, AI has revolutionized the application of science to ensure efficiency, improvement and cost effective that may accelerate economic growth, augment social development and supposed to be enhancing human well-being all across human civilization in the world.Few instances such as AI chatbot can facilitate client’s inquiries at any time that may trigger customers’ satisfaction and increase in its productions and sell. AI curves out opportunities for doctors to treat patients through telemedicine services even from very distant places.[20]  AI takes over repetitive and tedious tasks, meticulous calculations and frees up human handsfor doing other specialized works. In addition to these, AI can truly impact the field of medical treatment as well as health care.Our society will harvest immense benefits with autonomous transportation and clearance of traffic congestion issues. Facial recognition technology will enable the cops to catch criminals and terrorists. Even the deployment of Robotic security guards, police personnel, border security forces, army personnel will be the ushering of an unprecedented era of superfast technological explosion.[21]There is little doubt that AI may turn into boon for billions. It will be effective tools for health, education, public policy, defence mechanism and business strategy.

Nevertheless, it can cause harmful hazards for humanity, potential peril for civil society and will endanger the very existence of human beings.On the negative side, ‘serious questions are raised to address the genuine issues like joblessness, existential threat by inorganic beings. More concern raised by AI when it picks up language and human communication skills. Humans or Homo sapience are distinct from the other creatures in many ways. But these two aspects are somethings that keep them as special. Now, once language is mastered it can eventually influence critical thoughts, feelings and actions. From hospitals to markets, from religions to restaurants words used to communicate. So, with the mastery of language machines will have the power to create text, content, portray pictures, compose music, write codes and even can engage itself in manoeuvring and it can even hack human operating system and ‘deep fakes’ are created and the viewers are not able to differentiate.’[22]Thus, an illusory world is created and people are misled into a potential trap. Sometimes fake news is fabricated and spread by means of AI or AI is used to allure customers to buy particular products, even governments can manipulate and produce false manifesto with unthinkable speed.[23]

‘Artificial Intelligence can easily and completely assimilate all the cultural products of all societies. It can, then, create its own output – music, paintings, novels, recipes. AI does not have emotions or feelings yet. Nevertheless, it will be capable of kindling feelings and enable emotions to well up. A printing press is not endowed with the capacity to produce a book, it can only print the one which already exists. A gun on its own cannot create another superior gun. But AI can update as well as upgrade itself and create superior AI. It appears to be very astonishing that AI will evolve itself by interacting with humans. AI will register an individual’s beliefs, likes and dislikes, preferences, personal history and the total personal history and subsequently it will have its control over the mind of the individual. AI will learn from the humans endlessly and it is apprehended that within next five years AI will probably rule over human life and culture. In so doing it is likely to disrupt and dominate human existence. It will probably be climaxed in diminishing the democratic dissent and insecurity gains ascendency.’[24]

‘Fromtime immemorial the ecological system of the planet earth contained only organic life-forms. But the organic Homo Sapience does not seem to have much future left and his existence will be at stake as the earth is likely to be dominatedby an unusual inorganic entity very different from the humans.Authority seems to be slipping away from the hands of the humansand the AI Algorithms are thought to be the new masters. Previously humans received authority from above, but with the passage of time and especially in the threshold of the post-modern epoch feelings became pivotal and the sole decider for ethical issues. Now, in 21^st century human feelings are thought of bio-chemical Algorithms. The scientists are of the opinions that if there is adequate data and power, external algorithms can be created.When external algorithms turn into excellent algorithms by understanding human emotions and feelings better. In the second decade of this century infotech is becoming more biotech as there is hardly any difference between these two. The social media like Facebook or Google will be able to understand an individual better than himself owing to the data available to them. And they possess the computing power to understand human feelings.Thus, the authority shifts away from humans to algorithms. Now, AI makes choice for humans and they will be the mere recipients.[25]

This generates unpredictability and creates the scope for abuse. For an instance, facial recognition algorithms are used to ensure public security by the detection of potential criminals. But it may turn out to be disastrous if the detection is done based on their facial resemblance. Such ethical issues and dilemmas of lack of transparency popularly known as black box. The opacity of ML makes the algorithms or models mysterious both to consumers and even to the developers.The imprudent, malicious use of data may culminate in leakage or tempering personal information of an individual, institution or organization. Criminals may have more ways to obtain personal privacy data with lower costs and greater benefits. Data security incidents have commonly occurred in recent years.[26]

If AI fails in any way the accountability becomes an ethical issue. AI Robots are used for multiple purposes such as health, hotel, security even in other fields. But AI Robots are always granted a certain degree of autonomy, intentionality and responsibility.That intentionality is probably calculated within the range of morality. Nevertheless, if the AI fails to play its desired role in a context it has not been prepared for, then who will be responsible for the catastrophe created by the inorganic irony? Irony in the sense that what was expected to be a problem solver turns out to be a trouble maker! Besides without training in human rights laws, they may infringe and breach essential human rights without even realizing it.[27]

As far as the social impacts are concerned AI as well as automation may cause colossal chaos for the job replacement. Factory workers are already being replaced by automated systems that involved Robotic machinery in various fields of work. On the contrary, it seems to be unethical for the privileged elites to be the only beneficiaries.Not only that the AI that goes against the flow of ethical conscience can distort truth and create loss of trust which disarms the power of a society. Eventually a community wages war against the other.Racialand religious discrimination will be a natural outcome of AI. Inequality, inhuman bias has been an integral part of AI application. AI continues to enhance its skill while humans gradually shrink. Such unhealthy and unfair competition with monopolistic nature of AI will surely have an impact on social stability, liberty in the market, fairness, equal value and it becomes apparent that the interest of the consumers is killed and the scope for social welfare development is hindered.[28]

‘Historically, societies have understood early that certain professions need stronger oversight owing to their substantial potential to cause damage.Someone has rightly said,

“Society’s granting of power and privilege to the profession is premised on their willingness and ability to contribute to social benefit and to conduct their affairs in a manner consistent with broader social values.”[29]

Camenisch says,

“The autonomy of a profession is a privilege granted by society, which in turn leads to a moral duty of it to work for societal benefit. Professional codes not line with societal good will be rejected by society.”[30]

Medicine is an ancient profession with the first written records dating back to Sumeria 2000 B.C. Hippocratic oath, the first recorded document of medical professional codes, Geneva declaration and declaration of Helsinki for ethical conduct of medical research are examples of ethical codes for controlling this particular profession.[31] Likewise, some of that sort must be done to have a check on AI.

But before any remedial treatment is prescribed the root cause has to be diagnosed. First of all, unlike other creatures in the world man has been made in the image of God (Imago – Dei) [Gen. 1:26-27]. This divinely shaped image created an eternal vacuum in man. The vacuum is nothing but the deepest hunger and the deep-seated yearning for the tangible presence of the Creator. It is a strong inner urge to worship the Creator with which man has been made. As long as man remained in His presence in the garden of Eden, they were fully satisfied by it. Unfortunately, a chasm was created by sin between God and man and man had to be away from His presence(Gen. 3:23-24).But that that deep spiritual hunger remained as an incessant integral part of his whole being. That hunger drove him to invent many things like Religions[32] and other things. When everything else failed, man started worshipping himself. It climaxed in self-obsession or selfie-culture.Gradually it took the form of Narcissism. It is an abnormal mental state in which man has irrational, unreasonably high sense of their own importance. He cannot think of anything other than himself. And AI is stemming out of that abnormal state of mind.

Secondly, Ecclesiastes 3:11 declares, “God has planted eternity in the human heart…” (New Living Translation). It implies that God created man for eternity and He never expected man to taste death. But man chose to be the subject of death and decay. However, man wants to live forever even when his physical existence is no more.Cyborg is something that man created to taste immortality in his own limited sense and capacity. Humans attempted to make himself eternal apart from Christ by inventing Cyborg, a CyberneticOrganism, a rare blend of biology and technology to proceed into a new vista of Trans-humanism, the issue of becoming god.[33]As man wants to prolong his existence on earth if not physically, but virtually, he made prosthetic hands and feet that he can run faster than man’s usual speed. Even he will upload his memory into a new devise in which he can keep his digital existence alive even after his mortalexistence is gone.[34] Thus, he desires to immortalize himself! ‘Even the Neuromorphic computing is a computer engineering in which elements of a computer are modelled after the pattern of human brain and nervous system.’[35] Such points to the fact that man has rejected God and tries to take his place and creates the super intelligence without conscience and no wonder it will suffer from the situation characterised by utter lawlessness,ethical as well as moral bankruptcy.

BBC news expressed their dreadful, serious warnings with respect to AI, saying that global governance becomes indispensable to have control over AI. Moreover, in near future this Artificial Intelligence will change the way people think, reciprocate in the society, make policies both local and national. So, there may be a tectonic shift with the new inorganic AI civilization that comes as a Tsunami or a mountainous wave![36]

Even AI has its bad odour with the new smart electric Meter which is going to replace the previous one. The new meter will be under the control of AI and people are apprehensive about that it may ruin them with huge meter reading and there are public agitations already in different parts of Bengal.[37]

Bertrand Russell, the notorious atheist once said, “We want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world — it’s good facts, it’s bad facts, it’s beauties and its ugliness; see the world as it is and be not afraid of it”[38]

If not everything, but surely his openness and keen interest to explore the truth should be agreed upon and cherished.   But at the same time, it brings out the ugliness on the other side of the spectrum.The Greek mythological tale of a Craftsman named Daedalus and his son Icarus provides a clarion call even in post- modern era that not to lose sight of the reality, elevated too high on something that did not provide him with a long stay up in the sky and it climaxed in falling from the hight! Likewise, if the articulation of science and its practice are not done based on the reality and the truth, it might suffer the same fate of Icarus of the Greek mythology.

[1]Saunak Dutta, “ManusherAyana Hoye Othar PotheEgochchheKrittimBudhhimotta” (Artificial Intelligence Is Going to Be the Mirror of Mankind), The Ananada Bazar Patrika, 17th September, 2023.
[2]Anup Sinha, A Mechanical Future. The Telegraph, 8th September, 2023.
[3]John C Lennox, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of humanity. (http: youtu.be/bvf_n6Cnp8s).
[4] https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2023/03/ai-robot-novels-isaac-asimov-microsoft-chatbot/673265/
[5]See… John C Lennox, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of humanity
[6] Selin Akgun and Christine Greenhow, http://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-021-00096-7
[7]Latha Christie, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of human Society. https://youtu.be/ytNZLyKHOIY
[8]Ibid
[9]Elaine Rich and others. Artificial Intelligence. (Chennai: McGraw Hill Education (India) Private Limited, 2009), p.5.
[10]Ibid…p. 7
[11]Pathik Guha, “JontroHariye Dilo BuddhimanManushkeo”(Even machine defeated Intelligent Human Being), Rabibasariyo,  The Ananada Bazar Patrika, 17th September, 2023.
[12]See… Saunak Dutta, “Manusher Ayana Hoye Othar PotheEgochchheKrittimBudhhimotta” (Artificial Intelligence Is Going to Be the Mirror of Mankind),The Ananada Bazar Patrika, 17th September, 2023.
[13] See…John C Lennox, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of humanity.
[14]https://www.quora.com, See… Saunak Dutta, “Manusher Ayana Hoye Othar PotheEgochchheKrittimBudhhimotta” (Artificial Intelligence Is Going to Be the Mirror of Mankind),
[15]See…John C Lennox, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of humanity. 
[16]See… Selin Akgun and Christine Greenhow, http://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-021-00096-7
[17]Ibid…p.433.
[18]See… John C Lennox, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of humanity
[19]Changwu Huang, An Overview of Artificial Intelligence Ethics Vol. 4, August 2023. (http://creativecommons.org//licences/by/4.0
[20]Ibid
[21] Bernard Marr, What Is the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) On Society? (http://bernardmarr.com/what-is-the-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-ai-on-society/)pp.4-5
[22]See… Anup Sinha, A Mechanical Future. The Telegraph, 8th September, 2023.
[23]Yuval Noah Harari, AI and Future of Humanity (https://youtu.be/LWiM-LuRe6w?si=QO5-yBMvHchZ7Sv_)
[24]Ibid
[25]Yuval Noah Harari, Homo Deus. (https://youtu.be/4ChHc5jhZxs?si=Gxe0ilsJzdzh9CE)
[26]See…Changwu Huang, An Overview of Artificial Intelligence Ethics Vol. 4, August 2023. 
[27]Ibid
[28]Ibid
[29]Inga Strumke, Marija Slavkovik and others, The Social Dilemma in Artificial Intelligence Devdelopment and Why We have to Solve It. (https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-021-00120-w)
[30]Ibid
[31]Ibid
[32]Prakash Pal, An Appraisal of Samartha’s Dialogue as Mission and Their Relevance to the Context of Hindutva Ideology (An unpublished M.Th. Thesis). (Bangalore: _______, 2019), p.47
[33]Latha Christie, Biblical Theological Perspective of AI   (https://youtu.be/bQnEhfF0iTA)
[34]Ibid
[35]https://www.techtarget.com
[36] Bbc.co.uk/news
[37]https://youtu.be/MAI-NqKe3Oc?si=dazZQ9_6gTRP2iMP
[38]Karl W. Giberson, The Wonder of the Universe. (Illinois Books, 2012), p.9