Ethics in Artificial Intelligence for Education (AIED): Who cares?

Resumo:

While the range of AI techniques and technologies that are researched in classrooms and discussed at conferences are extensive and growing, the ethical consequences are rarely fully considered (at least, there is very little published work considering the ethics). In short, as a field (while we apply our university research regulations), we are working without any fully-worked out moral groundings specific to the field of AIED. AIED ethical questions include: What are the criteria for ethically acceptable AIED? How does the transient nature of student goals, interests and emotions impact on the ethics of AIED? What are the AIED ethical obligations of private organisations (developers of AIED products) and public authorities (schools and universities involved in AIED research)? How might schools, students and teachers opt out from, or challenge, how they are represented in large datasets? What are the ethical implications of not being able to easily interrogate how AIED deep decisions (using multi-level neural networks) are made? Strategies are also needed for risk amelioration since AI algorithms are vulnerable to hacking and manipulation. Where AIED interventions target behavioural change (such as by ‘nudging’ individuals towards a particular course of action), the entire sequence of AIED enhanced pedagogical activity also needs to be ethically warranted. And finally, it is important to recognise another perspective on AIED ethical questions: in each instance, the ethical cost of inaction and failure to innovate must be balanced against the potential for AIED innovation to result in real benefits for learners, educators and educational institutions.

Palestrante: Wayne Holmes, Open University, UK

Biografia: Dr Wayne Holmes is an Assistant Professor in Learning Sciences and Innovation, at the Institute of Educational Technology (IET), The Open University, UK. He has been involved in education and education research for more than 25 years, receiving his PhD in Education (Learning and Technology) from the University of Oxford. He also has degrees in Film (BA), Philosophy (MA) and Education (MSc); and has more than 10 years’ experience of university teaching (at the National Film and Television School, the University of Oxford, University College London, and the University of Bristol). His research interests are in the learning sciences and learning innovations. Currently, he is focused on the application of Artificial Intelligence in education: how might we use the potential of AI to both enhance and further understand learning, and what do we need to do to ensure that the application of AI in education is socially responsible? Recently he has co-authored two influential reports: Intelligence Unleashed: An Argument for AI in Education, and Technology-enhanced Personalised Learning: Untangling the Evidence. He has also been invited to give talks in the UK, Brazil, China, Germany, Israel and the US, and to advise the UK Parliament and UNESCO.