Making metaethics work for AI: realism and anti-realism

Engineering an artificial intelligence to play an advisory role in morally charged decision making will inevitably introduce meta-ethical positions into the design. Some of these positions, by informing the design and operation of the AI, will introduce risks. This paper offers an analysis of these potential risks along the realism/anti-realism dimension in metaethics and reveals that realism poses greater risks, but, on the other hand, anti-realism undermines the motivation for engineering a moral AI in the first place

Capitalism, Labor and the Totalising Drive of Technology

In this paper I try to illustrate, quite roughly and indicatively, the interconnections between automation technology and social organization. Central to this analysis are the notions of automation, increased productivity in a capitalist society, labor, equality, global inequality and the modern culture of technology. I will end the paper with brief critical remarks on the question of 'robot rights'In this paper I try to illustrate, quite roughly and indicatively, the interconnections between automation technology and social organization. Central to this analysis are the notions of automation, increased productivity in a capitalist society, labor, equality, global inequality and the modern culture of technology. I will end the paper with brief critical remarks on the question of 'robot rights'.Peer reviewe

Walking Through the Turing Wall

Can the machines that play board games or recognize images only in the comfort of the virtual world be intelligent? To become reliable and convenient assistants to humans, machines need to learn how to act and communicate in the physical reality, just like people do. The authors propose two novel ways of designing and building Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The first one seeks to unify all participants at any instance of the Turing test – the judge, the machine, the human subject as well as the means of observation instead of building a separating wall. The second one aims to design AGI programs in such a way so that they can move in various environments. The authors of the article thoroughly discuss four areas of interaction for robots with AGI and introduce a new idea of techno-umwelt bridging artificial intelligence with biology in a new way

Walking Through The Turing Wall

Can the machines that play board games or recognize images only in the comfort of the virtual world be intelligent? To become reliable and convenient assistants to humans, machines need to learn how to act and communicate in the physical reality, just like people do. The authors propose two novel ways of designing and building Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The first one seeks to unify all participants at any instance of the Turing test – the judge, the machine, the human subject as well as the means of observation instead of building a separating wall. The second one aims to design AGI programs in such a way so that they can move in various environments. The authors of the article thoroughly discuss four areas of interaction for robots with AGI and introduce a new idea of techno-umwelts bridging artificial intelligence with biology in a novel wa

Philosophical and methodological foundations of post-Turing intelligent robotics

This is PhD thesis submitted to Institute Philosophy of Russian Academy of Science in March 202

Tensions en éthique de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) : un guide herméneutique pour les décideurs politiques

L’éthique de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) constitue un domaine de recherche pluridisciplinaire en expansion. Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le champ de l’éthique de l’IA et en propose une nouvelle interprétation. D’entrée de jeu, les nombreux liens qu’entretiennent les défis et opportunités que présentent les systèmes employant l’intelligence artificielle avec le domaine politique y sont exposés. Une hypothèse clé animant cette thèse est que, puisque la politique consiste à répondre au conflit par le dialogue, les décideurs politiques aux prises avec des questions concernant l’IA peuvent tirer profit des orientations fournies par différentes traditions éthiques. Afin de faciliter un dialogue optimal, une prise de position métaéthique particulière est avancée au niveau théorique, soit le « monisme non orthodoxe », tandis qu’une série de questions ciblées est proposée au niveau de la pratique. Divisée en trois sections, la thèse débute avec une exploration métaéthique des fondements des approches éthiques principales qui sont à l’œuvre dans les réflexions contemporaines concernant l’IA. Les écoles éthiques étudiées, en faisant appel au continuum qui distingue le monisme et le pluralisme, sont l’éthique de la vertu, l’utilitarisme et l’éthique déontologique. Ces démarches monistes sont ensuite placées en contraste avec le pluralisme des valeurs, une approche souvent employée, mais rarement nommée de manière explicite. La deuxième section consiste en une analyse métaéthique d’une vingtaine de directives éthiques émises par des compagnies privées, la société civile ainsi que des organisations à multiples partenaires, de même que par des instances gouvernementales ou intergouvernementales. C’est ce portrait qui révèle à quel point le pluralisme des valeurs est récurrent dans ces directives. En outre, il se mêle souvent à d’autres approches éthiques pour générer des versions en situation de « tension métaéthique », bien que cela ne se produise souvent que de manière implicite. En conséquence, les propositions associées à ces approches sont parfois contradictoires, tant en ce qui concerne leur formulation que dans la manière dont elles seraient mises en œuvre. Une approche éthique alternative est proposée dans la troisième section. Cette approche est formée d’éléments dérivés spécialement de l’éthique de la vertu et du pluralisme. Ils fondent le socle sur lequel, dans le chapitre final de la thèse, un « guide dialogique » est développé pour l’usage des décideurs politiques. La prudence, une sensibilité profonde au contexte, une orientation téléologique « douce » vers le bien commun ainsi que l’ouverture à la possibilité de dilemmes insolubles caractérisent cette approche éthique. La philosophie herméneutique est également mise à contribution pour justifier l’articulation d’une série de questions destinées à guider le dialogue des décideurs politiques. En effet, l’herméneutique encourage une logique de questions, plutôt qu’une logique dérivée de principes ou de théories.The ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing field of multidisciplinary research. This thesis falls within AI ethics and suggests a new interpretation. The numerous challenges and opportunities generated by AI systems are described at the outset. A key assumption of the thesis is that, given that politics consists of responding to conflict with dialogue, policy-makers dealing with the questions surrounding AI can benefit from the guidance provided by different ethical traditions. Furthermore, in order to facilitate an optimal dialogue, this thesis puts forward a particular metaethical position, that of “unorthodox monism” at the theoretical level, and one consisting of a series of pertinent questions at the practical level. Divided into three main sections, the thesis begins by exploring the metaethical foundations at work in most contemporary thinking about AI. Using a continuum that distinguishes between monism and pluralism in ethics, the particular schools examined are virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontology. These monistic approaches are then contrasted with value pluralism, which is an approach that is often employed and yet rarely identified explicitly. The second section consists of a metaethical analysis of a sample of some twenty sets of AI ethical guidelines produced within private companies, civil society and by multi-partner organizations, as well as by governmental and intergovernmental bodies. It is this portrait which reveals how value pluralism recurs in many of these sets of guidelines. Moreover, it is also often implicitly combined with other ethical approaches to generate “mixed” versions, which exhibit metaethical tensions. As a result, the proposals associated with these approaches are sometimes contradictory, both in regards to how they are formulated as well as to how they are to be implemented. Third, an alternative ethical approach is proposed. It consists of elements derived in particular from virtue ethics and value pluralism. They form the basis upon which, in the thesis’ final chapter, a “dialogical guide” is formulated for use by policy-makers. Prudence, a deep sensitivity to context, a “soft” teleological orientation towards a common good, along with openness to the possibility of intractable dilemmas characterize this approach. Hermeneutical philosophy is also drawn upon in order to justify the articulation of a series of questions meant to guide the dialogue of policy-makers. Indeed, hermeneutics calls forth a logic of questions rather than one based on principles or theories