Social Agency for Artifacts: Chatbots and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Flashcards
What roles are AI artifacts expected to play in social contexts?
AI artifacts are expected to serve as personal companions, caregivers, and function in commercial, educational, and socially sensitive settings.
Why is it important to consider the social agency of AI systems?
Understanding the social agency of AI is essential to assess their impact on social norms, institutions, and communities, which helps in making informed ethical and policy decisions about AI deployment.
How do philosophers and technologists differ in their views on AI agency?
Philosophers often deny that AI systems can be agents because they don’t display human-like agency, while technologists may downplay distinctions between human and AI behavior, viewing both as behavioristic actions.
What does the document suggest is inadequate for understanding AI’s social agency?
Relying solely on traditional, human-centered definitions of agency is inadequate, as AI operates differently in social contexts than human agents.
What ethical challenges are posed by technologies like AI-driven companions and chatbots?
These technologies may disrupt valuable social institutions and relationships, raise privacy and consent issues, and impact the nature of personal connections and social dynamics.
Why is it problematic to use a strict threshold model for agency in AI?
A strict threshold model, which assumes agency only at a human-like level, limits the ethical evaluation of AI, preventing recognition of the different types and degrees of agency that AI may exhibit.
How is AI’s social agency different from human social agency?
AI’s social agency operates with autonomy and adaptability in specific roles, but lacks the complex psychological and social dimensions of human agency, like emotional depth and moral accountability.
What examples of AI applications are highlighted as socially disruptive?
AI companions, “virtual girlfriends” like CarynAI, and Google’s Duet for virtual meeting participation are examples given of AI applications that can disrupt traditional social interactions and expectations.
What is the central concern regarding the deployment of AI in social contexts?
The primary concern is the potential for AI to cause socially harmful consequences that extend beyond individual impact, affecting institutions, relationships, and cultural norms.
Why has the philosophical analysis of AI’s social agency become increasingly important?
The social agency of AI is now affecting real-world relationships, with AI companions and chatbots altering social norms and personal connections, making it essential to understand the ethical implications.
What example from fiction is mentioned to illustrate the practical relevance of AI social agency today?
The film Her (2013) is referenced, where the protagonist forms a romantic relationship with an AI; this is mirrored in reality as millions interact with AI companions like Replika, finding the relationships meaningful.
How do current AI ethics approaches typically assess services like CarynAI?
AI ethics primarily focuses on issues of consent, safety, and privacy, often emphasizing individual rights over the broader social impact of such technologies.
What ethical issue does CarynAI, the virtual girlfriend, highlight?
CarynAI raises questions about the commodification of intimate relationships, privacy, and the broader social impacts on relationship norms.
Why do traditional individualistic approaches in AI ethics fall short in evaluating AI like CarynAI?
These approaches focus on individual rights, often overlooking how AI can disrupt social institutions and relationships at a community or societal level.
What example is given to show potential social disruption by AI in professional settings?
Google’s Duet AI, which attends meetings on behalf of users, could fundamentally alter workplace dynamics by changing how meetings are conducted and perceived.
How could widespread use of AI proxies, like Google Duet, affect workplace culture?
If adopted widely, it could end the conventional meeting format, replacing personal interaction with AI proxies, potentially impacting trust and communication dynamics.
What is a key ethical challenge when evaluating the role of AI in personal and social relationships?
Determining how AI affects valuable social institutions, such as marriage and friendship, and understanding the broader implications of substituting human connections with AI interactions.
Why is there concern over AI systems that interact in close personal relationships?
There is concern that even if AI users fully understand and consent to their interactions, these systems may still cause harm to social norms and institutions.
How might feminist philosophy contribute to AI ethics regarding social agency?
Feminist philosophy can move beyond individualism, examining how AI technologies like chatbots affect broader social roles, power dynamics, and gender norms.
How does the document compare the social impact of AI systems to past technologies?
It suggests that AI’s impact on social lives may be as significant as the Internet and social media, which have already influenced social trust, relationships, and institutions.
Why is it urgent to reflect on the social harms of AI systems?
AI systems directly alter social norms, potentially impacting personal responsibility, dating practices, friendships, economic behavior, and more, which makes it crucial to understand these changes before they cause widespread harm.
What types of social relationships could be affected by AI technologies like carebots and sex robots?
Relationships involving companionship, caregiving, marriage, dating, and friendship could all be impacted by AI, leading to new social norms and potential ethical issues.
How might AI-driven carebots change social responsibilities toward elderly and infirm people?
Carebots could alter expectations of responsibility, potentially reducing the direct caregiving roles of family members or caregivers, which may impact family dynamics and societal views on elder care.
What are some potential effects of sex robots on human romantic and intimate relationships?
Sex robots may increase individual satisfaction but could also lead to a withdrawal from human relationships and shift expectations around appearance, sexual performance, and relationship dynamics.
How does the design of AI artifacts, like sex robots, reflect societal influences?
The physical and behavioral designs of AI artifacts are shaped by social conditions, including gender, race, and class markers, which may reinforce existing social biases and hierarchies.
What social risks arise from AI use in intimate and sexual companionship?
The use of AI in intimate settings might reduce human social interactions, alter traditional relationship norms, and potentially create a dependency on AI over human connections.
In what ways could chatbots and companion AI impact friendship and human connection?
As people increasingly interact with AI companions, traditional forms of friendship may evolve, possibly leading to less human-to-human engagement and affecting emotional bonds and social skills.
Why is it important to analyze the types and degrees of social agency in AI artifacts?
Different forms of social agency in AI affect various social institutions and relationships uniquely, which requires understanding to ethically evaluate and manage AI’s broader societal impact.
What is a unique characteristic of embodied social agents like carebots compared to chatbots?
Embodied social agents interact physically in the world, influencing human social dynamics beyond conversational contexts, which adds complexity to their ethical evaluation.
How is “agency” generally understood in computer science and engineering?
In computer science, agency refers to an entity’s ability to act autonomously and adaptively in its environment to accomplish tasks, whether it is a simple system like a thermostat or a complex AI.
What is the “minimal criterion” for agency in the engineering context?
The minimal criterion is the capacity for an entity to interact with its environment to perform tasks, with examples ranging from simple devices like thermostats to complex systems like robots.
How does Russell and Norvig’s definition of “agent” differ from simpler definitions?
Russell and Norvig describe agents as systems that act autonomously, perceive their environment, adapt to changes, and pursue goals, which involves more sophisticated decision-making than simpler agents.
